A New Student at the DWMA: Time Heals All Wounds?
by cassie246
Summary: Marilyn Death is the daughter of Lord Death himself, unknown twin of Death the Kid, but never accepted it and ran away at a young age. Now she's back with a cursed weapon partner, and she's out for Kid's life. Full Description inside. Based off Anime, year after Ashura dies.
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summery:**

**Marilyn Death is the daughter of Lord Death himself, unknown twin of Death the Kid, but never accepted it and ran away at a young age, meeting her lifetime weapon partner, Jaden.**  
**Jaden is cursed one day to be forever asleep in his weapon form. Resenting her father for not telling her who did it, Mari had moved out of Death City for seven years, but now Lord Death is willing to tell her who it was on the condition she returns to Death City. What will happen to our protagonist as she slowly learns the awful truth about hers and Jaden's past, and what will happen to the peace that the DWMA had finally felt now that the threat of Ashura is gone, now that Mari has returned?**

"Jaden, I'm home," Mari called, walking through the door and into the seemingly empty house. She sighed and set the groceries down on the table. Her small, two story house was messy and the television had been left on from when she left to go shopping. She walked into the bathroom and checked her hair. She nodded, seeing it was still securely fastened in it's mousy brown up-do. She adjusted her large spectacles and then went back into the living room. She turned off the television and grabbed a book from her shelf.

As she was sitting down, the sound of something hitting the ground came to her. She slowly set down her book and glanced over at the door to the dining room, and small sounds of foot steps resounded through the room, growing louder with each passing moment. She straightened up and casually went into the hallway and towards the back room. She opened the door and went into the small bedroom. There were old posters of rock bands and women in bathing suits littering the walls, and dust was collecting on the unmade bed and shelves with CD's and CD Players. The only thing that was clean and well polishes in the room was a long scythe with a thin red line of metal going across its sharp edge as well as a second small blade jutting out of the other side of the handle with a similar red band. It almost looked like there was blood on it's blade. It was perched on two hooks screwed into the wall, leaving it hanging horizontally by it's handle. On the top of it, carved into the metal was the name "Jaden".

Mari stared at the scythe for a few moments before going over to it and pulling it down from it's perch like it weighed nothing. "I promise, I'll change you back somehow Jaden," she whispered. A loud crash came from the living room, and she went out into the hall. Three men walked into the hall, two armed with guns. Mari glared down at them, and looked at their souls. "Kishin Eggs, huh? How did you three get in here?" she asked.

"Enough talk little girl, and we promise to make your death quick and painless," the unarmed one sneered. Mari rolled her eyes at him.

"Give me a break will ya? I swear something must be wrong with the barrier if you losers can get in here," she scoffed. The two men raised their guns and fired. Mari ran at them, using the scythe to block the bullets. She swiftly cut down the gunmen and dodged past the third and into the living room. The man smiled at her.

"You can fight even in tight quarters I see. You are no ordinary meister," the man said to her. Mari simply spun her scythe in one slow motion to change her grip, so as to adjust to the more open area. The man punched the floor and his shape changed. His torso grew out of his shirt and he grew about three feet taller, towering over her and touching the ceiling. His eyes turned red and slitted, and his grin widened until it literally went from ear to ear. "You are a good candidate for my 50th soul," he spoke loudly, his voice low and guttural.

Mari lunged out and sliced down in one smooth motion, cutting straight through him without a speck of blood on her. "You talk to much," she muttered. The Kishin guy stood there for a second before his halves split apart and hit the ground with a loud thunk. She sighed and flicked the scythe quickly, the traces of blood left on it flicking off onto the floor. She gathered the three Kishin souls and held them up. "_Konso_," she muttered. A light flashed and the souls were gone. "That makes you three my 123rd souls. 49 souls? You were barely worth the time." she thought for a second and then sighed. "123. The numbers are in _perfect _order. That's just great," she said sarcastically.

She sighed again and walked up the stairs to the mirror room. She only went into this room on important occasions, and this was one of them. Mirrors of all kinds littered the room. Some sat on the ground and held up by empty boxes. Some mirrors were hung on the wall, bent and hung in no particular order. She leaned her scythe against the door and went up the largest mirror on the far wall. It was a full-body mirror with gold surrounding it's reflective surface. A white skull carving sat on the top with it's edged teeth pointing into the mirror a bit. It was held up to the wall, but clawed feet like what you see on one of those gigantic bathtubs were on the bottom of it and lodged into the wood flooring. She set her finger on the mirrors surface and began tracing numbers.

_42-42-564 whenever you want to knock on Death's door._

**Bing... Bing... Bing...**

"Hi, hiya, wassup wassup!" Lord Death greeted cheerfully through the mirror. Mari stared blankly at Lord Death, and then after a moment recognition went over him. "Ah, Mari my dear, good to see ya! I didn't recognize you with your disguise on! How's it going, how have you been? "

"Cut the act Death," she said to him. "You know I'm not interested in formalities. Not with you."

"I don't see why you insist on not calling me 'Dad' or 'Father' or something like that," Lord Death said to her.

"Calling you that would show that I hold respect for you, which I don't. You are no father to me," she said through clenched teeth, saying the word 'father' like saying the word meant tearing off a limb.

"Ah yes well, time can change people," Lord Death sighed. Mari rolled her eyes. "So what is it you need?"

"Pre-Kishin got into my house... Again," she said. Lord Death gave her a look of confusion.

"I see, don't know how it could be happening," he said.

"Bull, you know how they are getting in you liar," she snapped at him.

"Well, I don't see why you continue to demand living outside of Death City," Lord Death said sadly.

"You know why. I refuse to live under _your_ jurisdiction. When Jaden was cursed, I came to you for help. I know you know how to change him back, but you refuse to help him," she yelled.

"I haven't told you anything because it is what is best for you-."

"What's best for me? What about what is best for Jaden? He had been frozen in his weapon form for almost seven years! You know how to fix him, and you won't even tell me who it was that cursed him!"

Lord Death was silent, a hand to his mask in thought. Then he nodded. "I think you are right. I have been keeping to much from you. Very well, I'll admit it. I know who cursed your weapon partner-"

"His name is Jaden," she corrected.

"Who cursed _Jaden_, and I'm going to tell you how to lift the curse," Lord Death said. Mari's eyes lit up. "To lift the curse, you have to soak Jaden's entire blade in the blood of the one who cursed him."

"You _have _seen how large Jaden's blade is right? I would have to kill the guy to do it."

"Exactly why I didn't want to tell you who cursed him. I didn't think you could handle it."

"I'm a grim reaper! I can handle killing someone. I've just taken out three evil humans," Mari said to him.

"Yes, but the one who cursed Jaden isn't a evil human," Lord Death said to her.

"Then who and where is this person?" she asked. "Don't skip around the question this time. I can handle it."

Lord Death sighed, as if he was regretting telling her the truth. "Alright then, he lives here in Death City, and he's a grim reaper. His name is Death the Kid."

Mari raised an eyebrow at Lord Death. She never heard of Death the Kid before, nor ever heard of there being more than one grim reaper than him and, some day, her. It didn't matter though, all that mattered was the fact that he was the one who cursed Jaden.

"So he lives in Death City, then that's where I'll go," Mari said.

"Hold up, you are in Missouri right now. How are you going to travel half way across the country," Lord Death asked.

"The mirror of course. That's how I got here, it's how I'll come back," she answered him.

"Whoa now, I have some conditions before I let you use the mirror transport," Lord Death said, putting his over-sized hands up in defense. Mari stared at him, waiting patiently for him to spit it out. "You have to stay in Death City for here on out, and you need to enroll into the DWMA."

Mari glared at him. _It's bad enough I'm just going back to Death City, now I have to stay there? Is it worth it?_ She looked over at Jaden and her mind was set. _It's worth it._

"Fine," she said. "I'll come through when I'm all packed up.

Mari wrote the number onto the mirror again and waited for Lord Death to answer. Once he appeared in the mirror, she pulled her two travel cases to the mirror."I'll help you," Lord Death offered, his hands about to penetrate the mirror. Without wasting a second, Mari had Jaden's blade in front of her bags and ready to cut off a finger.

"Don't come through the mirror or I'll cut off whatever does comes through," Mari threatened, glaring coldly at him. Lord Death just sighed and pulled away from the mirror some. She knew he wasn't intimidated by her, but she didn't care. The more hatred she showed him the more she felt he would understand how much she detested the sight of him.

She leaned Jaden against the wall and lifted up her first bag, which held all her clothes. She hefted it up with little difficulty and threw it through the mirror. In the reflection she watched the bag hit the white ground and skid to a stop a foot or two away from the mirror. Then she grabbed her smaller bag with all her necessities in it and threw it out too, watching it bounce loudly over to where Lord Death stood.

She grabbed Jaden and looked back at the room. She wasn't sure, but she didn't think she would be seeing this little house she considered home for a long time. She sighed and turned back. She let Jaden's blade go into the mirror first, the surface rippling like water. Then she took a step into the mirror, closed her eyes and went through, the only sign to her that she went through was the momentary flash of cold that went over her as she passed through the mirror.

"Mari, you're looking well," Death Scythe greeted. Mari actually liked Death Scythe, he was quirky and made her laugh when he goofed up. The only problem he had was his love for women, but he was married last she saw him, so things had been going good for him.

"Nice to see you D.S.," she greeted, smiling for the first time since she had called Lord Death. "How's married life been treating you?"

Death Scythe's face turned sad. "Well, we had a divorce," he said. Mari shook her head in disappointment.

"Sorry to hear that," she said to him. He nodded and went to the other side of the circular platform area to sit and mope about it.

"Well, now that you're here. I've arranged for someone to pick up your luggage and take it to Hollows Manor," Lord Death said. Mari stiffened and turned back to glare at him.

"No," she said, her voice thin and threatening.

"Oh, but Marilyn, you can't expect me to make you stay in the academy's extra rooms," Lord Death said worriedly.

"_Don't call me Marilyn_," Mari hissed. She could hear Death Scythe shift uneasily behind her. "And I don't need your hospitality. I'm not poor; I can rent an apartment somewhere nearby." Mari picked up her essentials bag and walked over to Death Scythe. "D.S., would you mind escorting me around until I get the hang of Death City again?"

Death Scythe stood up and glance over at Lord Death for confirmation, and he nodded. Death Scythe smiled to her and grabbed her other bag and dragged it along as he followed her out of the Death Room.

There were a few students in the hallways of the DWMA, and most of them stopped and whispered as she and Death Scythe passed them. Mari payed them no mind. "D.C. Do you know where I can get a hold of a news paper? I need to find myself an apartment as soon as possible."

"There's no need for that, I know this great place already that has some apartments available," Death Scythe said to her.

"Oh, that's perfect. Let's go there now," she said. There was silence for a bit, save for the questioning whispers about why Death Scythe was following Mari around. As they began walking down the steps of DWMA, Mari spoke up again. "D.S., Do you know a Death the Kid?"

Death Scythe didn't answer right away, as if he was pondering something.

"I know of him," he said. Mari scowled but didn't turn around to check his expression. His voice was enough to give away that he to had known something about what had happened to Jaden.

"Tell me about him. What does he look like? What is his current weapon? What does he specialize in?" she asked.

"Slow down, would you? I can't answer that all at once. How about we wait until we arrange to get your apartment and then we can sit down with a nice cup of tea and talk about your suicidal plans," Death Scythe said, his voice irritated. Mari went silent, processing what he had just said. He didn't know that he had already gave her information about Death the Kid.

_He's obviously strong if Death Scythe says what I'm attempting is suicidal. That doesn't worry me much. He doesn't realize how strong I've grown these past six years. Now I know not to underestimate my enemy, although that should be obvious._

"Now that I'm settled in somewhat," Mari started, setting down two cups of tea and settling herself in the chair opposite of Death Scythe at the small table. The apartment complex had turned out to be quite strange apart from the Missouri buildings she had been used to. It was deformed and had sectioned jutting out from the main part of the building, and it looked like it shouldn't be structurally sound, but Death Scythe and the landlord both assured her it was perfectly safe to live in. The apartment in itself was pretty spacious and neat; a two bedroom upon request and a pretty decent kitchen and living room considering that it was an apartment.

"Ah yes, you still want to know about Death the Kid." Death Scythe took a swig of tea before looking at her seriously. Mari watched him blankly, completely serious and focused on the task at hand. She had to learn about her foe. Since he was a grim reaper like her, he wasn't going to be defeated easily.

Death Scythe leaned over and set a picture down on the table, then slouched back in his chair a little and crossed his arms. Mari took the picture and examined him, and was slightly shocked by it. He had dark black hair and golden eyes, and was dressed orderly and was smirking at the camera like he owned the world. It irritated the hell out of her. The only thing she found interesting about him were the three white streaks in his hair, which lined up horizontally and ran across half his head. This interesting was not a good one.

Mari put down the picture face down, as to not be distracted by it as Death Scythe began to talk to her. "Death the Kid is a grim reaper, as you probably already know. His main weapons of choice are a pair of twin pistols named Elizabeth and Patricia Thompson."

_Thompson? Where do I know that name from? They couldn't be those Thompson sisters that I had hung around a little after I had ran away, could they?_

"He is also an attending student at the DWMA," Death Scythe added. Mari was thrown out of her musings at that sentence. She stood up in shock. "Don't act so surprised. He's the same age as you after all."

"I have been force to attend classes with that bastard?" she yelled in outrage. She slammed her fist on the table. "Damn that old man. He set me up after all. I outta-." Mari paused, and then though to herself. She stood up straight and paced down to the other side of the apartment and then back again, all the while thinking to herself out loud. "Wait, this may be a good thing. I was already aware he live here in Death City, but I had know idea where I would have to start looking. Now I don't have to worry." A satisfied smile crept across her face. "I start school tomorrow. By tomorrow morning he will have already walked into my grasp."

**those who are reading my other stories at the moment, i'm sorry I haven't updated them in forever, but as you can see I AM NOT DEAD. I will try to update them ASAP**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank's to Skai Breeze for the first comment to this fic. :) And thanks to those who have already taken the time to read this fanfiction.**

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"I can't believe you've made us almost half an hour late again Kid," Liz complained next to him.

"Well if Patti hadn't messed with the hallway portraits' symmetry it wouldn't have taken so long," Kid said, obviously still irritated about that early morning incident.

"Ha Ha! Watching Kid squirm was fun," Patti cheered gleefully, causing Liz to sigh heavily and hold back Kid from attacking her right there and then.

"Anyway, Father has let me know that there was a new student here, and he wanted me to personally escort her around the Academy for a few days," Kid said once he had composed himself.

"Huh? What's so special about a new kid? The DWMA get's those all this time," Liz said.

"Not sure, all Father had told me about her was that she is a very particular case. She's a scythe miester as well," Kid said to her.

"A particular case? What's that about?" Liz pondered.

"Maybe she's an alien, huh Sis?" Patti asked, giggling.

"Let's hope not," Liz groaned.

"Well, let's hurry up then, shall we? Don't want to keep the new student waiting any longer than she has too," Kid said, picking up the pace a little. Liz and Patti quickly followed him.

Kid continued to ponder on the new student at DWMA. His father had been strangely vague about her. He hadn't even mentions a name, or what she looked like. All he knew was that this girl was a scythe miester. That wasn't much to go by. Most of the students could be mistaken for scythe miesters until they are seen in action with their weapons.

The first thing he noticed as he finished the last few steps was the symmetry of the academy, basking in its beauty for a moment. Then he looked around and saw one person still outside. It was a girl he hadn't seen around before. Her thin glasses shadowed her emerald green eyes almost menacingly. Her mousy brown hair was in a messy and untidy ponytail, with her bangs chopped in an asymmetrical fashion, which irritated Kid somewhat. The girl was also wearing clothes that reminded him of the party of the academy's anniversary when Black*Star was dressed so untidily. The girl's plaid skirt was tilted seven degrees off center, and a loosely fit tie worn askew with a skull on it that was split in half like it had been broken. Not to mention her jean jacket, which one sleeve was off the shoulder while the other was perfect! And her shoes! Oh her shoes were the same style, hightops with straps and a grey toe and a skull on the toe, but one was pink and one was bright green! And her socks where mixed colors of orange and blue! _She's disgustingly asymmetrical!_

Kid shuddered at her hideous taste in fashion and was about to walk past her when he noticed the giant scythe that was taller than her that she was holding almost tenderly, as if it was a delicate child. The large blade, which was half as long as she was tall, was silver, and its sharpened edge was blood red. At first glance, Kid thought it _had _been blood. There was a second, smaller blade jutting out of it's other side, with the same design as it's larger counterpart, but it was upside down with the edge facing the sky. The scythe sickened him somewhat from it's asymmetrical form, but cast it aside, knowing it had to be a student and had to be polite.

_This must be the new student Father had told me about. How... disappointing._

He cast aside his thoughts and put on a welcoming smile. "You must be the new student I was told about. Welcome to Death Weapon Miester Academy," he greeted, walking over to her with a hand outstretched. The girl said nothing, her gaze cold. He regarded her for a moment before his gaze going to the weapon. "Why don't you change back to your human form? There's no need to stay in that form-."

"Don't taunt Jaden, you bastard," the girl snapped. Kid withdrew his hand, startled by the sudden insult. "How dare you act so coy and stuck up like you are better than us."

"I-I'm sorry. Have I offended you in some way?" he asked, completely confused. He jumped away quickly, just barely dodging the scythe blade from slicing him in two. The girl was in an offensive position before he could have even processed the change. She now held the blade tightly, her stance similar to how Maka stood at offensive. Her eyes were alive with hidden anger and blood lust.

"You dare act stupid! I'll cut off that tongue of yours," she shouted at him.

_I see what Father meant by her being a particular case. She has more of a temper than Maka does when she's angered, and even less patience._

"I see you wish to fight then?" he asked. This girl didn't know what she was getting into. He would be sure to go easy on her, seeing as she was a new student. _Even so, for a new student, she handles her weapon partner like a master. She is no ordinary girl._ "Liz, Patti."

"Right," they both said as they transformed into their weapon forms and flew into his hands. He caught them easily and aimed them at the girl, right arm crossing left. Now came the stand off. Every fight had one, whether a few seconds or a few minutes. The girl took off, blade low and ready to fly up from below. Kid used Liz and Patty to block, being pushed backwards from the mere force of her first attack. _She's strong._

He jumped away and brought the girls up to fire, but the girl was gone. "Kid, behind you," Liz yelled. He turned quickly and blocked another attack from above, almost going to his knees just to keep his balance. _She's fast too._

Kid took a few steps back and fired two shots at the girl. She seemed to react with fluid grace, stopping both shots at once with the blades. She struggled a little, and them threw them off course, firing out somewhere random. _She's powerful._

The girl faltered and looked over to the front doors of the academy. Kid looked over as well and saw Professor Stein, as well as Maka, Soul, Black*Star, Tsubaki, and most of the rest of the class.

"Focus on your enemy," a loud cry called out. Kid turned abruptly and jumped away as the girl drove her scythe partner into the ground where he had been standing. She paused, catching her breath only a little. "I swear... I will take you down for what you have done," she growled. He blinked in total confusion.

"What did I ever do to you?" he asked. She pulled the scythe out of the concrete and charged. He dodged her once, twice. "You aren't going to give me an answer are you!" She swung again, and the blade barely missed his chest. "So be it."

"Professor Stein, who is that girl fighting Kid?" Maka asked, thoroughly intrigued on how this new scythe miester could keep up with Kid so easily and even make him dodge so much.

"Her name in Mari. She's a new student. She just enrolled yesterday," Stein answer Maka, watching the fight intently. "Maka, focus your Soul Perception on her would you please?"

Maka nodded and tried. "I can't, she's moving to quickly for me to focus on her wavelength."

Suddenly, the fight came to a pause, and both fighters finally noticing the crowd. Maka took the chance to focus on Mari's wavelength, even if it was for a short time. "How odd," she mused to herself.

"What's odd?" Soul asked her.

"Well, she seems like a regular miester, but the weapon-miester resonance is completely off," Maka said. Then her focus broke as Mari charged Kid again. "It's like the miester is the one in complete control, and the weapon is just sitting there letting her do whatever she wants without any thought to himself."

"A good observation. I noticed it as well. It's quite interesting to say the least," Stein said to her. "What else do you notice, focus on both her and Kid."

Maka looked back to Mari, who was staring hatefully at Kid. Kid only stood a few paces away. He asked her something, but Maka wasn't focused on it. Mari charged him again, and Kid simply dodged her. With their souls so close together, she saw it, and gasped.

"So similar," she said in awe.

"What?" Soul and Black*Star both asked.

Mari swung at him as fast as she could and with as much strength as she could muster, but none of her hits seem to be hitting him. He was fast, and that shot with his soul wavelength showed not just how strong and powerful he was, but how much he was holding back. It irritated her to the fullest. When she had noticed others had come to watch, she felt some satisfaction. _They can watch the great Death the Kid fall._

When she looked back, he was staring too, and was shocked and angry that he felt he could let his guard down around her so easily. "Focus on your enemy," she yelled, charging at him and swinging Jaden down on him. He had turned at the last second and jumped out of range, just like the last few swings. Jaden's blade went deep into the ground. She leaned against him for a moment to catch her breath.

_He cursed Jaden, and he's my age. He was so young, and yet he has that much power? How dare he go easy on me! How dare he do this to Jaden!_

"I swear... I will take you down for what you have done," she said to him angrily. That look crossed his face again, the confused look. _Could he seriously have forgotten what he did to Jaden?_

Her anger gave her strength, and she pulled Jaden out of the ground and charged at him again, swinging again and again. She could feel tears sting her eyes, but she forced them away. He was talking to her, but the roar of her rage and anguish muted him and everything else from her.

Suddenly, Death the Kid shot at her, and she was just barely able to dodge it. She looked over and saw him a few meters away. He was talking to his weapons, and she read two words from his lips.

"Soul Resonance." His guns changed shapes and surrounded his forearms, turning into miniature cannons. Mari stiffened, readying herself for his attack. Light began to gather at the cannons barrels, pointed directly at her. Kid said something, and beams of light shot from the cannons and straight at her.

"Resonance Barrier," she yelled. She spun Jaden twice and jabbed him into the earth. A red aura exploded from his blade and surrounded her, just in time as the lights reached her. They hit the barrier and bounced off, shooting out into the sky. The barrier disappeared. Mari pulled Jaden's blade out of the ground and charged as the dust began to clear around them.

"Death Cannon!"

Kid pulled the trigger, releasing his Death Cannon. Dust shot up around him. "I must have aimed a little low. I hit the ground some."

The sisters turned back to their original pistol forms and Kid lowered them, relaxing. _It must be over. I never miss with Death Cannon._

Then he saw something horrifying, but had no time to react to it. The girl that should have been down for the count leapt out of the dust with scythe blade raised high for a final blow. The last thing he saw before shutting his eyes out of pure reflex was that under her glasses her eyes were molten gold instead of jade green.

"Professor stop her, she'll kill him," Maka shouted as Mari took off to attack Kid through the clouds of dust. Professor Stein acted immediately, leaving his swivel chair and running between the two miesters. He put his hand out at Mari and released a small amount of soul force on her, causing her to be pushed backwards to the ground and get the wind knocked out of her as well.

Kid stood there, frozen in place and eyes closed tight, and Stein could see that he was trembling, even is it was for only a moment and only just visible. _I had let the fight go on to long. Still, I gathered much information from Marilyn in that exercise._

Stein's attention was brought back to Mari and she stood up, glaring daggers at him. "Old man, how dare you interfere," she said, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Mari, you may be strong enough to clash weapons with Kid, but pick a fight with me and you will regret it to the fullest," he said, he voice sounding like he could care less about what was going on. He turned his screw two clicks and pushed up his glasses, watching to see what the young reaper girl would do. Mari tensed at first, about ready to pick up her weapon, but then stopped. _She used her soul perception; wise choice._

"My business isn't with you Screw Head. Get lost so I can finish what I started," she said.

"You have started nothing, and even if you had, I am ending it. End of story," Stein said to her. Mari glared for a little bit, but finally sat back down on the ground in reluctant defeat. Stein turned back to Kid, who was also sitting down and in an obvious daze. The Thompson sisters were back in human form and trying to snap him out of it.

"He's just in shock girls. Give him a few minutes and he should be back to normal," Stein said.

"There's nothing normal about Kid, Professor," Liz said to him, which he shrugged to, silently agreeing with her.

"Maka, could you go to Lord Death and explain the fight please?" he asked. Maka nodded and ran off. Stein sighed to himself. _Things are going to get hectic around here again, I can just feel it._


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here's chapter three! I also have this going on . I sure hope this brings more people :) I kinda like how this chapter turned out. Chapter four will be up in a couple days, but I would like a few reviews before I post it if you guys wouldn't mind. i really would like the criticism.**

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Maka ran into the Death Room and was surprised to see Lord Death out of his mirror drinking tea with her papa.

"Uhm, Lord Death?" she called to catch his attention. Unfortunately, her papa was the one to take notice first.

"MAKA," he cheered, running to her and hugging her.

"Papa let go of me," she hissed. He did so and stood a little bit away from her sadly, which she ignored.

"Miester Maka, what brings you here so suddenly?" Lord Death asked.

"Professor Stein sent me to inform you that the new student, Mari, had started a fight with Kid," she said. She explained the whole fight scene to him. The whole time, Lord Death seemed to get more and more unsettled. Once she had finished, he nodded to her.

"Thank you for informing me of this, Maka. Do me a favor and find Mari and tell her to come here," he said to her. She nodded and turned to leave but remembered that she wanted to ask him something.

"Lord Death, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Of course, anything," he said.

"It's about the new student," she added. Lord Death seemed a little hesitant now. Maka continued. "I was watching her soul wavelength during the fight and I noticed something odd. When she had gotten close to Kid, I noticed that their souls were very similar in wavelength. They were almost the same. I've never seen it before, is it even possible?"

"Oh I assure you, it's very possible Miester Maka," he said, his voice quite serious. "Mari is also quite aware of this, too. You should ask her about it, it will be up to her to tell you or not."

"Alright, thank you Lord Death. I'll go get her now," Maka said. Lord Death waved goodbye to her and she hurried out to go find her. _I wonder if everyone is still outside. Maybe she's there._

"Hey Maka." She stopped and looked over at Kid, who was leaning against the wall casually like he had been waiting for her. "You looking for the new girl?" She nodded. "She ran off a little after you left. Professor Stein tried to catch her, but she left campus to quickly. You won't find her here any time soon."

"Oh, I see," she said. She went over to him and leaned against the wall next to him. "Are you alright? She didn't hurt you did she?"

"No, I'm fine. Not a scratch on me," he said. "Not a scratch on her either," he added quietly. She watched as he sank into thought.

"Do you know why she attacked you so suddenly? She doesn't seem like the type to attack someone for no reason," she said to him.

"I'm not sure, I've never met the girl before in my entire life. It's obvious, though, that she thinks I did something terrible to her. That look in her eyes, all that was there was pure loathing and hatred." Maka saw Kid was really bothered by this, even if he was trying to hide it. She didn't understand what it was about this girl that had disturbed him so. _Of course, I wasn't at the end of her blade. I wouldn't truly __understand how terrifying it could be unless I had fought her myself._

"Well, hey. Don't need to be so glum about it. I'm sure she will come around and become a good friend sooner or later. You're a nice guy after all," Maka said. Kid gave her a thankful smile.

"Thanks Maka, I'm sure you're right. Probably just started on the wrong foot with her," he said. Maka nodded.

"Anyway, I better go look for her in town. Lord Death wants to talk to her, so I better find her. Would you tell Professor Stein I went to look for her for me?"

"Sure, no problem. You might want to take Soul with you just in case she's still angry," he said to her. Maka giggled.

"Nah, I'm sure I'll be fine," she told him.

"If you say so," he muttered. He got off the wall and started off to class. Maka smiled as he left and then went off in the opposite direction to leave the academy.

Mari walked across the dead lawn of the old park, carrying Jaden at her side. This park was in the more deserted part of Death City, where mostly only the homeless and troublemakers hung around. When she had run away, she had come here, knowing few would think her stupid enough to hide there. She stopped under a old willow tree, and laid a hand on it's worn trunk.

_This is where Jaden and I had first met..._

_~Flashback~_

_I finally stopped to catch my breath under a shady willow tree. I sat down, worn out from running for so long. _I hope they don't come looking here._ I shut my eyes, listening to the breeze._

"_H-Hello."_

_I opened my eyes to look upon a boy about my age. He was dirty, and looked really beat up. His dark brown hair was choppy and messed up all over. His clothes were worn and torn, and he looked like he had slept outside for a long time._

"_Hi," I said to him._

"_Are you a grim reaper child?" he asked. I nodded, knowing he guessed because of my black hair and three white lines that ran across the right side of my hair. "You're not going to hurt me are you?"_

"_No way! Why would I hurt you?" I asked._

"_Then why are you out here? It's not very safe," he said._

"_I ran away," I told him proudly._

"_Oh, I live here."_

"_Where?" I asked, looking around._

"_On the street. My parents died last month, and I've been living on the streets ever since," he explained. I felt bad for him. I mean, I hated my rich family life, but to lose your family. It was sad._

"_Hey, since we are both on our own here, we should stick together," I said to him. He blinked at me, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. His expression was so blank, his eyes almost dead-looking. He was so... intriguing._

"_Okay," he said. He offered a hand to me, and I took it. _

"_I'm Mari by the way."_

"_Jaden, I can turn into a scythe."_

"_That's so cool!"_

_~Flashback end~_

"Hey there you are!"

Mari turned to see a girl with pigtails running up to her. She recognized the girl as the one that the screw-head guy told to tell Lord Death on her. "What do you want, and how did you find me?" Mari asked, shooting her a dirty look. She paused just outside the shade of the willow.

"Lord Death sent me to come get you. He wants to talk to you," she said.

"I hold no business with him," she said, leaning against the tree. "Or with you for that matter."

"Hey, you don't have to be so rude," she said, sounding hurt. "I'm not trying to get you mad or anything, I'm just doing what I'm told."

Mari was a little shocked at the girls tone when she said that, like she really hadn't wanted to come find her in the first place. _She must not like being told what to do by Death. She might be kinda cool._

"Sorry, I have a hard time trusting people," she said to her. "Come's from past experience."

"Oh. Well, let's start over then," the girl said, smiling. "I'm Maka Albarn. A Scythe Miester."

"Oh, you as well huh? My name is Mari, and this is Jaden," she introduced, shifting Jaden a little when she said his name.

"Okay, hey, why doesn't Jaden change into his human form and introduce himself?" Maka asked.

"He's cursed, he can't change back. He can't even talk," she explained.

"He was cursed? Was it by a witch?" Maka asked.

"No, by Death the Kid," she said, glaring at the ground.

"Kid cursed him?" Maka asked, confused. "That doesn't sound like something he would... or even could do."

"Well he did, I was told by Death himself," Mari said.

"How odd, so that's why you hate him," she said sadly.

"You're friends with him?" Mari asked.

"Yea, kinda. I don't know why he would do something so terrible to a person. How long has Jaden been like that?"

"Almost seven years now," Mari answered. Maka looked astonished, and gasped in shock.

"No way! That long? I didn't think Kid was that powerful."

"He's holding back plenty, don't be so shocked," Mari said, her voice level to hide her anger. _Not even truthful to his friends. How low could he get. _"Anyway, I'm heading home. Want to play hooky with me?"

"No, I have to get back, but I really think you should go talk to Lord Death. He won't be happy if you don't," Maka told her.

"Like I care what that old man thinks," Mari groaned. "Whatever, I guess I'll talk to you later. See you."

She left without another word, and Maka only said goodbye and left herself. _I wonder if she will start questioning her friendship with Death the Kid so much she stops talking to him. She would be better off._

"I can't believe Kid would do such a thing," Maka mused to herself as she walked back to the DWMA. "He's such a nice person. Maybe she was informed wrong? After all, Kid said he had never met her before. Of course, that doesn't mean he hadn't met Jaden either. She even said Lord Death told her it was Kid. How can I question that?"

Maka stopped at a fountain and sat down. _Could it be Kid has been lying to all of us this whole time?_

She looked up where she heard a motorcycle approaching. It was Soul. He came to a stop near her. "Hey there you are Maka. I've been looking for you," he said.

"Huh, why? You should be back at school," she told him.

"Kid told me he was worried since you had been gone for so long, so I went looking for you to make sure you were alright," he explained.

"Well I'm obviously fine. I was on my way back," she said.

"Oh, well you want a ride then?" he asked. She nodded and got on. "Did you find the new girl?"

"Oh yea, I found her," she said and the bike went into motion.

"And?"

"I think we are friends," she told him.

"Well that's good, better than being in Kid's position," he called back over the engine. Maka sighed and laid her chin on his shoulder. Soul slowed down to a stop. "I know that sigh, what's wrong?"

"Mari's weapon partner has been cursed to where he's stuck in weapon form and can't even speak," she said.

"So?"

"She said that Lord Death told her Kid cursed him." Soul gave her a shocked look.

"Kid? Our Kid? No way."

"That's what I thought, but Lord Death told her so and he wouldn't lie about something like that," Maka told him. He thought about it and then nodded reluctantly.

"So, does that mean Kid's been hiding stuff from us?" he asked.

"I think so," she answered. "But don't tell Black*Star or Tsubaki. I don't want them worrying."

"Yea, okay. Let's just get back."


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, chapter four! :D sorry if it took a bit to get this up. Thanks to those who have commented so far.**

* * *

Mari said goodbye to Jaden before leaving their apartment. She figured that she would lay low against Death the Kid for a couple days before calling him out again. If she was anything, she was fair, and it wouldn't have been fair to him to attack him the next day after how he had reacted. She wanted him fighting at his best next time. As she left the complex, she noticed Maka by a motorcycle with a guy with white hair.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked, walking over to her. Maka started and looked over at her.

"Oh Mari, you're here! Soul and I live here," she said. Now she knew who the white top was.

"Oh, you too huh? That's a surprise. I just moved into an apartment here the other day," Mari told her.

"Oh that's great," Maka said with a bright smile. The one called Soul didn't seemed so thrilled. He still had his back to her, and was muttering something under his breath.

"You got a problem with me White Top?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. He turned and seemed to be watching her carefully as well, scowling at her. "I'm guessing Maka told you about what we had talked about."

"Yea, sorry," Maka apologized. "Soul is my partner, I don't usually keep things from him."

"Oh, it's alright. I respect that in a meister. You don't see that to often between people," Mari said. She refocused on Soul. "So, I'm guessing you don't believe me, do you?"

"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that I'd rather not take sides until I know the full story," he responded.

"Understandable," she said simply.

"Mari, you aren't going to attack Kid again, are you?" Maka asked.

"Not today," Mari said shortly. She started past them, walking along briskly. After a moment or two, an engine roared to life behind her and they rolled over to her, matching her speed.

"You want a ride?" Soul asked. Mari looked over the motorcycle once and then nodded, getting on right behind Maka. There was just enough room for all three of them. Sooner than Mari had expected, they were already parked at he bottom of the stairs leading to the school. She got off with Maka and looked up at the school. It was completely symmetrical and perfect. She sneered at it, the sight of it sickening to her eyes.

"So, you showed your face after all."

Mari turned and glared down Death the Kid, who was just now approaching the school. He was also staring at her intently, his shoulders stiff like he was ready for her to attack. "Calm down, I'm not here to fight today," she said to him. He didn't relax, and he looked away like the sight of her sickened him. "Whatever, be that way."

She started up the stairs next to Maka and Soul, and saw Kid catch up to her out of the corner of her eye. "Would you stay away from me?" she snapped.

"No, whether you like it or not, I'm supposed to escort you around the school for a couple days," he said, glaring daggers at her. She glared back with just as much irritation.

"Well at least keep your distance. I don't want your hideous stench to rub off on me," she sneered. Then she looked back ahead of her. She saw him disappear from her line of sight and was slightly satisfied that he at least respected her space.

"I should let you know that my father wishes to speak with you," he suddenly blurted once they reached the top. Mari clenched her fists.

"Like I give a damn about what your father wants," she sneered. She noticed Maka and Soul look at her in shock.

"I suggest you go see him," Kid said to her.

"Well no thanks, I can barely stand being near you. Like I want to go see one of your relatives," she snapped. Soul and Maka paused, but she kept going, going at a brisk trot so she could be alone quicker. She heard foot steps behind her and turned to see Kid still following her. "Would you leave me alone already?"

"You need to meet with my father," he said to her.

"I'm not going to go meet your god damned father, alright? Get it through your thick, black and white haired skull!"

Kid paused, his eye going wide in realization. Then they turned terrified. He suddenly went to the ground on hands and knees, pounding on it like he was having a tantrum. "You're right! I'm asymmetrical scum! Garbage! Why do I continue to live?"

She looked at him in total astonishment. "Really? What, is he OCD or something?" she asked herself aloud.

"Not again," a girl said, walking over to him. She was followed by a smaller girl. They were both wearing similar outfits. She remembered them as Kid's weapon partners. "Did you mention his hair to him?" she asked.

"Yes, so what?" Mari asked.

"Kid is asymmetrical," the smaller girl chanted over and over in a sing-song voice.

"I'm trash! Put me out of my misery! Let me die," Kid cried.

"No Kid, you're not trash, don't say that about yourself. Patty you are not helping," she hissed at the chanting girl. Mari took the opportunity to walk away quickly, but she didn't get far before Kid noticed.

"Hey, where do you think you're going," he yelled. Mari heard the older girl mutter something about that snapping him out of it. Mari groaned.

"Away from you," she called back, walking faster.

"Oh no you don't," Kid yelled, running after her.

()

"These two aren't giving up are they?" Liz complained, stopping and catching her breath. Kid and the new girl disappeared around a corner.

"They sure run fast down, don't they sis?" Patty said, catching her breath as well. "It's not even funny how much they have in common considering strength and speed." Liz silently agreed with her. She stood up straight and leaned against the wall.

"No use chasing them, let's just let them run each other down and then go find them," she said.

"Yea, good idea," Patty agreed, sounding a little thankful about the idea. She leaned against the wall next to her sister, after a bit using her fingers to push herself off against the wall just to fall back against it out of pure boredom. "Hey big sis, is it just me, or does that girl seem familiar?"

"Don't be ridiculous Patty. We've never met her before," Liz said to her.

"You sure? I dunno, there's something about her voice that seems familiar," Patty mused, poking her cheek in thought.

"Go away, leave me alone!" Liz and Patty turned to the voice coming up the hall. As if on cue, the girl Kid was in hot pursuit of came running past them. Kid was close behind her, and they soon disappeared again. Liz focused on the girls word, suddenly also hearing something familiar in them.

"_Go away leave us alone!"_

"_What's going on here?"_

"_Sis, let's get 'em!"_

"Wait, isn't she-," both girl started at the same time.

()

Kid came to a stop first, utterly exhausted from keeping up with Mari. He had taken notice that Liz and Patty had stopped a long time ago. He watched as she ran up the hall to the massive door leading to the Death Room and smiled. _Cornered. Now it's either be trapped here with me or go in and speak with Father. I can probably already guess which one she will choose._

Indeed Mari did do as he expected. She cast the door a sneer, and then glared back at him before going inside and leaving him alone in the hall.

"So you finally cornered her," Liz said from behind him. He stood up straight and nodded back to her.

"Let's head to class now, shall we? I'm sure Professor Stein will understand why we are late," he said to them. Liz sighed and Patty laughed. He smirked and walked ahead, knowing they were following him close behind.

()

"Ah Mari, so you finally decided to come like I asked," Lord Death said to her. She glared to the side in a pouting fashion.

"I wouldn't be here if that bastard would have left me alone," she said.

"Anyway, let's get down to business to why I had summoned you here," Lord Death said. Mari looked up at him, already knowing what he was going to talk to her about.

"It's about my confrontation with Death the Kid yesterday," she said as a statement more than a question. Lord Death nodded anyway.

"I am usually fine with students fight for training or for fun at the academy as long as a teacher is proctoring them, but what you did was far beyond that," Lord Death began. "I care deeply for my students safety. I know kids will be kids, and some may leave a bruise or two every so often, but I will not allow deadly combat here. I no longer want what happened yesterday to happen again at the academy. Do as you like off campus, but nothing like that again. Someone could get hurt."

"Couldn't someone just as easily get hurt inside Death City?" Mari asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"True, that is an excellent point you just made. Very well, if you two do confront each other, take it on the outskirts of Death City or at least somewhere pleasantly deserted," Lord Death concluded. Mari wasn't all to thrilled about this. She saw Death the Kid at school almost every day, and didn't even know where he lived in Death City. How would she find a way to confront him outside of school hours? _Maybe that is Death's plan in the first place._

"Fine, I'll agree to your orders this time, but I'd like to ask something of you," Mari requested. Lord Death seemed to perk up at this, seeing as she was rarely polite enough to _ask_ anything from him. "I don't want Death the Kid tailing me like a little duckling around the school anymore." Lord Death chuckled at this in amusement to her reference of Death the Kid.

"Alright, alright. I'll tell him not to follow you around anymore. I'm sure after your little run around the academy that you should know your way around the general area by now," Lord Death told her, still laughing to himself. Mari blushed with mixed anger and embarrassment, but said nothing and turned to leave. "Mari, wait." She paused and looked back to him. "I hope you will make good friends here. Everyone here is a good person, and would be excellent people to have on your side."

Mari rolled here eyes at him and walked out without another word.

()

_Something is bothering Maka and Soul._

Maka and Soul were chatting with Mari, who had seated herself next to them after being introduced to the class. Kid had noticed a spark of a smile coming from Mari every once in a while, and concluded that she should smile more. Of course, that wasn't what he really was worried about at the moment.

Before Mari had even come into the class room, Kid had tried to talk to Maka and Soul, seeing as Mari had driven up with them to school. She must have lived close by, or they had already become friends of some sort, and wanted to get information on the girl. She was positively puzzling, not to mention a pain to be around, but something had him completely hooked on learning what it was her problem was with her.

_Her eyes. They are gold, not green. She's hiding something about herself. I need to know what._

Kid figured, seeing as the scythe meister and weapon were already close to Mari, they would be his best bet on learning something about her. Only problem was, when he had confronted them, they both exchanged glances, and some kind of agreement went between them. Maka hadn't said a word and went back to reading her book. Soul had told him he didn't know anything about the girl, then stopped talking to him and looked over at Maka's book like he was interested in what she was reading.

It puzzled him. These two people that he considered close friends were keeping something hidden from him, and he was positive it had something to do with Mari's hatred towards him.

()

Classes were over for the day. Lord Death had requested Kid to come to the Death Room. Liz and Patty told Kid they were going to go back to Gallows Manor without him, which he agreed to and left them. After Kid had disappeared from their line of sight, Liz and Patty both nodded in agreement and went out to wait for the new girl. To their surprise, she was already at the bottom of the stairs with Maka and Soul, all three getting ready to leave on Soul's motorcycle.

Liz and Patty sprinted down the stairs. "Hey you guys, wait," Liz yelled. Soul stopped the bike almost as soon as he had got it moving. They ran over and held onto the bike like it was going to drive off on it's own.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Maka asked them, looking worried.

"We need to talk to new girl here," Liz said after a second of catching her breath. The new girl shot them a suspicious look, but got off the motorcycle.

"I'll catch you guys later."

"Okay Mari, see you later," Maka said to her. Soul revved the engine and took off.

"So, what does Death the Kid's weapons want with me?" she asked, a hint of displeasure in her voice.

"We have some questions, and it starts with who you are, because you're obvious hiding something," Liz told her.

"Sis, you're even confusing me," Patty said. Liz sighed heavily. "Mari, was it? Did you used to live out in the streets with a weapon by the name of Jaden?"

()

"So you figured me out that quickly," Mari sighed. "I shouldn't be so surprised. I knew you two would have figured it out quickly after I realized you were the notorious Thompson Sisters. How did a trouble making pair like you end up with _Death the Kid_?"

"Long story short, we needed a place to crash, he came along, and he kinda grew on us," Liz said, scratching the back of her head and sending her a nervous grin. Mari knew that Liz knew she wouldn't like this information, but she let it go for old times sake. Mari had looked up to Liz and Patty while she had been on the streets. They had taken care of her and Jaden for a long time. "So, what's with the image change?" Liz asked.

"And why are you hiding the fact that you're a reaper?" Patty added.

"It's... a long story," Mari said. "I don't even _want _to be a reaper. I hate that I'm categorized with those idiots." By"those idiots" she was clearly talking about her father and Death the Kid. Luckily for her, she had never told the Thompson Sisters that she was the child of Lord Death, not that that mattered.

"I can see what you mean," Liz said, looking like she was reliving a disturbing memory. Patty just giggled next to her.

"So how's Jaden? Has he gotten any better with other people?" Patty asked. Mari looked at the ground. _Oh, that's right. They probably don't know about Jaden because of their stupid excuse for a meister._

And so, she explained what happened to Jaden. She was kind enough to leave out the part that Kid was the one who cursed Jaden in the first place, seeing as mistrust in the weapon-miester bond would put Kid off him game, which is exactly what Mari didn't want.

"Wow, that's really deep," Liz said. They had been walking down the road for a while and Mari noticed that they ended up at the abandoned park with the willow tree. "And you have no clue who did it?"

"Well I do, but I don't want to have you two concerned about it. I'm not the same little girl you saved from thugs all those years ago. I can take care of myself as long as I've got Jaden with me."

"You two are really close even after all these years," Liz chuckled. "Well, we better get back to Gallows Manor, or Kid will get there and see we aren't back yet."

Mari was jolted out of the thought she was in at the name. "Wait, why would you go there?" she asked.

"We live there of course. Kid is a grim reaper after all," Liz said, giving her a strange look like the answer had been obvious. Mari scowled. _Why would _he_ be living where I used to live. Looks like I have a few questions to ask the old man later._

"Anyway, we'll catch you later. And don't worry, we won't tell Kid you're a reaper," Liz said.

"Yea, thanks. See you two tomorrow," Mari called after them.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, chapter 5! Thanks for the comments so far! I'm also updating this story on deviantart! here's the link.

* * *

Black*Star and Tsubaki were walking down the hall, on their way to the Death Room. They had to pass the assignments board on the way, and were startled at the huge crowd around it. "What's going on?" Tsubaki asked.

"Someone seems to have taken my spotlight while we were away on a mission Tsubaki," Black*Star said.

"Wait, Black*Star don't-," Tsubaki started. Her plea went on deaf ears. Black*Star ran into the crowd, yelling about the big star's return and all sorts of nonsense. Tsubaki sighed in defeat.

"Hey, Tsubaki you guys are back," Maka called, running over to her. "I see Black*star is still the same as ever."

"Yea," she answered, laughing a little. "So, what's the commotion about?"

"Mari is looking for her first assignment," Maka told her. Tsubaki gave her a curious look. _Who's Mari? Never heard of her before... _"Oh right, you haven't met her yet. Mari is a new student, she just started day after you two left."

"Oh, alright. But that doesn't explain why everyone's over here," Tsubaki told her.

"Mari started a big fight with Kid on her first day here, and she would have beat him is Professor Stein hadn't intervened. There's been big buzz about what her first mission will be ever since," Maka told her.

"YAHOO," Black*Star yelled over the crowd. A loud thunk echoed through the halls and Black*Star came flying out of the crowd and landing at Tsubaki's feet.

"Black*Star, are you alright!"

"Awesome... ouch," he moaned.

"What an idiot." Tsubaki looked up at where the girl's voice came from. The crowd parted, letting through a girl with a huge scythe in her hand. "Are you his weapon?" she asked. Tsubaki nodded. "I really... _really_ feel sorry for you. I hope your sanity still holds when you become a Death Scythe." Tsubaki was about to chastise the girl for insulting Black*Star, but the words didn't come after she told her about becoming a Death Scythe. The girl smiled. "Your patience and calm would be a great asset as a Death Scythe. I have no doubt you will become one, whether with Black*Star's help or not."

"How did you know his name?" Maka asked.

"He was shouting it in my ear, how could I not know it?" she retaliated. Tsubaki smiled. She admired this girl's straightforwardness. _She would make a great friend._

()

"So Mari, what assignment did you choose?" Maka asked her.

"It's a double team mission. It's a Two Star mission, but I'm sure I can get it," she explained. Maka was shocked in her confidence.

"A Two Star mission? You only started here a couple days ago didn't you?" Tsubaki asked. "You really think you can handle it?"

"I won't be on my own. Death is going to assign my partner, and I'm almost positive he wouldn't send me in there with an idiot next to me," Mari said to her. Maka innerly fumed. _She always calls Lord Death "Death" or "Old Man". Why doesn't she hold any respect for him? She could really get on his bad side one day._

"Well, I'm off to the Death Room. Nice meeting you, uh-."

"Tsubaki," she answered Mari.

"Cool. I'll see you around. Wish me luck Maka," Mari called, running down the hall.

"Good luck," Maka called back to her.

()

Mari went over to the door and waltzed right in, not caring is Lord Death was busy, and in fact he wasn't. He was in his mirror, watching her approach.

"So~? Did you choose a mission?" Lord death asked.

"Yes. I would like to be assigned to the Two Star mission at the Falls," Mari told him.

"Ah, the group mission huh?" Lord Death chuckled. Mari shot him a look.

"What's so funny, old man?" she asked. A rustling came behind her. She turned and saw none other than Death the Kid coming out of hiding, looking very displeased.

"Well, it seems Kid has also signed up to take part in that particular mission," Lord Death said, amusement still in his voice. Mari gasped, knowing what he was thinking.

"No, not happening," she snapped, glaring back at him.

"Show some respect you little brat," Death the Kid snapped at her.

"What did you call me, you good for nothing reaper," she growled. He glared daggers at her, and she did the same, both of them showing their anger for each other.

"Well, it seems you have no choice now. You'll both be partners for the mission," Lord Death said cheerfully, like there wasn't a stare down going on right in front of him.

"I'm not working with this idiot," Mari shouted at Lord Death, and was shocked when she heard Kid's voice echo her exact words at exactly the same time. Lord Death only chuckled and made a shooing motion with him hands.

"Go on now, the sooner you start the faster you two will be done with it," he said. Mari let out a displeased sigh and turned to walk out, seeing that Kid was way ahead of her and was already near the door.

()

"Look, I know you hate me. I have no idea why, but I could really care less right now," Kid attempted after the long, silent walk out of the desert. "I just want to make a clear truce betw-."

"Never," she cut him off. Kid held back a groan of irritation.

"We are partners here. We need to work together, and butting heads isn't going to get us anywhere right now," he attempted again.

"Like I said, I refuse to work with an idiot," Mari said to him. Kid sighed.

"Not even a temporary truce?" he asked.

"I swear, Death the Kid, if you say _that word_ to me again I will cut your head off and leave your body for the desert animal to do away with," she threatened. Kid shivered and took a few steps away from her, not letting himself assume it was an idle threat. They walked in silence after that, the only sounds around them were the wind blowing the sand around and Patty's complaints about it getting really hot. Kid groaned after a bit.

"Do you even know where we are going?" he called to her. She stopped and started digging in a sand dune. _Has the heat gotten to her head? What is she doing? _Kid sighed and summoned Beelzebub. Liz and Patty transformed into their gun forms. "Hey, there's just enough room for two, get on."

"No... thank you," she called. It sounded like she was struggling with something heavy. The Kid saw something silver flash out of the sand. It nearly blinded him, and he looked away from a moment. When he looked back, he saw that Mari had pulled a scooter out of the sand. She was putting a cover over her weapons blade and fastening it to the front bar.

"You are never going to be able to keep up with me on that thing, especially in the desert," he said to her, watching her in amazement and she hopped onto it.

"Shows what you know," she said to him. She pressed both sides of the handle bars, and it seems to trigger something with the scooter. A small engine looking thing popped out from the back wheel. "Try to keep up with that fancy flying toy of yours." She kicked at the engine, a short buzzing coming from it, and then was gone in a small cloud of dust.

"What?" he yelled.

"She's gone," Liz cried.

"Wow, she's magic," Patty cheered.

"Are you coming or what?"

Kid turned around and saw her behind him, like she had been there the whole time. "Wait, how did you-."

"Rocket boosters, ever heard of them?" she asked blandly. Kid glared at her. "I'm going northeast towards the Falls. You can catch up once you get over your foolish shock." Kid watched closely this time and just barely saw her scooter move, a small wave of energy shooting out of the rocket booster, propelling her across the sand like it was pavement. He quickly went to catch up with her.

()

_It was a risk, but there was no way I was walking another minute with that idiot behind me._

Mari had taken a big risk in revealing her identity as a reaper when she summoned her scooter, Belial, but it was worth it to her eyes. Now that they were all going at a high rate of speed, they were sure to get out of the desert soon. She just hoped he didn't catch on to the fact the Blial fed off her soul's wavelength to boost its speed. She was sure his skateboard was no different.

As she had expected, after about ten minutes of driving, the border of the desert was beginning to appear. "Looks like our trip through the heat is at it's end," Kid said behind her. Mari ignored him, slowly coaxing Blial to a lower rate of speed until she was literally pulling it out onto the solid dirt. A few meters ahead was a town, which held their subway to the east past the Great Lakes, then they would get off and board the next train north to the border, then would walk the rest of the way. It would be a long walk, seeing as she would have to 'leave' Blial near the first train station. Not to mention their train ride together was already a good two day trip.

Kid landed his skateboard back to the ground and rode ahead a bit. She caught up to him."You go to the train station and grab our tickets," she said. "I'll drop off my scooter at a old friends house."

"You have a friend out here?" Kid asked, disbelieving.

"I traveled a lot before moving to Death City. I have friends in all sorts of places," she easily lied. He considered her statement for a moment before nodding and driving off without her. She took a random turn into an alley and hopped off Blial, summoning it back to her. She unhitched Jaden from the steering rod and held him in a casual manor she had learn to adopt through the years.

Mari decided to wander for a little bit, seeing as she couldn't just get to the train station two minutes after Kid got there. As she wandered, she happened upon a little shop with a sign that read 'Ms. Leena's Fast Fortunes and Charms'. Now take note, she never really believed in fate and fortune telling, yet something about the place had made her stop. It sparked her curiosity, with its crumbled and slightly rundown look. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she went inside.

The door bell jingled lightly as she entered. The shop was dimmed down to cast about a mysterious look. Mari set Jaden down at the window in a corner, then walked farther in. Three shelves lined the back wall, holding a variety of trinkets and doo-dads. One shelf was marked 'Luck Charms', another 'Protective Charms' and the third 'Cursed Dolls'. Now this struck her as odd, and so she went over to that shelf. Dozens of little dolls littered the shelves. Some were made of cloth, some of old straw. Some were even crafted from what seemed to be animal pelt.

One certain doll caught her eye. It sat near the back of the shelf near the wall. It looked like it was covered in buffalo hide, with three black feathers adorning its head. There were three red pins stuck in it, one on the shoulder, one in it's middle, and one through the heart. Mari reached back for it, intrigued at what it was for.

"I wouldn't touch that one if I were you, dear," a voice said, stopping her hand from grabbing it. "Nothing good ever comes from that doll." Mari withdrew her hand and faced the voice. It was an elderly woman in her late 60's, clad in a mystics garb, crescent moon earpieces hanging from her ears, and three rings adorning her hands. One blue, one yellow, and one red. She noticed Mari's interest in the rings and motioned her closer, and so she did, to the table the woman had sat down at.

"Blue for knowledge and sorrow. Yellow for courage and joy. Red for power and hate. One ring always calls to a person more than the other," she said, her old voice wise and kind. She slipped off the rings and placed them in a neat row on the table, the gems facing Mari. The woman gave her a look as if telling her to choose one. She sat down and stared at them, and what shocked her was that two of them seem the glow. The red and the blue. Yellow was a dim light, barely alive in the other two radiant shine.

"Interesting, Knowledge and hatred call to you. Perhaps a recent discovery has returned or strengthen a bad memory," the woman said conclusively, taking back the rings and slipping them on. They stopped glowing. Mari only stared at the woman in shock. _How had she figured that out so easily?_

"I am Ms. Leena. I am very glad to meet you Mari," she greeted.

"How did you know my name?" she asked.

"I saw you in a dream, and you were writing your name over and over. I knew you would visit today," she said. Mari felt uncomfortable. Something about the woman was strange, and not in a good way. "Perhaps you would like me to read your future in some way?"

"Sure, why not. I'm just killing time before I catch my train anyway," Mari told her. Ms. Leena nodded and pulled out a deck of cards. _Tarot cards, I've heard of these. She'll make me choose three then make up an excuse for what she sees._

Ms. Leena shuffled the deck, then held out the cards to her to choose from. Mari chose three cards and then set them on the table face down. Ms. Leena nodded and put the deck down. She spread the three cards out and pointed at the one on her right. "This is your past, or your complete present, depending on what card it is. If it is for your past, the next card is your present. The final card is always your complete future. If the first card is your complete present, the second will be a closer future."

Mari nodded in understanding. Ms. Leena revealed the first card. It had a man and a woman close in an embrace under two trees; an angel with a bow and arrow flying above them.

"The Lovers. Interesting first card," she began. The tile of the card caught Mari's attention at once. "It is strange, only twice has this happened. This card being first can be both past and present. I see it from your past, transcending to the present, my dear. This card is your decision, one of a more important one. A decision between something emotionally close to you, and something important so you may continue the path you need or desire."

_That card... it reminds me of Jaden. I had chosen him and freedom over family. Also how it comes to my present, I am emotionally attached to returning Jaden to his rightful self, so what would be the second decision? Wait, why am I even asking myself these things? I don't even believe in this tarot card mumbo jumbo._

Ms. Leena seemed to study her as she thought to herself, and waited patiently to focus on the reading again. She flipped the second card. The picture was of a tumbling tower, with a bolt of lighting stiking at it. "The Tower. This is in your near future. A strong truth will be revealed to you, shattering all beliefs you had thought were truth, or perhaps finally breaking the barrier of lies that you may guard yourself with."

Mari stood in outrage. How dare this woman say such things to her. She was completely sure of her life, and nothing is ever hidden from her.

Ms. Leena sat quietly with serenity written in her features. She was waiting for Mari to sit, waiting for her to accept what was under the third card. For some reason, Mari suddenly felt afraid. Even so, she sat back down, watching the hidden card with intensity. Ms. Leena put her hand on it, and slowly flipped it over. Mari didn't need to listen to Ms. Leena as she spoke the title, for the cloaked figure in the picture was a clear message. The figure was close to that of what her father looked like; Death.

"A time of change will occur in your life, one that will require a great deal of loss and mourning. But do not be decieved by its appearance. Death leads to new life. Death is the card of loss _and_ new beginnings, for after the rain comes the sun. The sadness you will find will bring about a time of fresh beginnings."

()

Kid, Liz and Patty sat on a bench together, waiting for Mari to return so that they were all there when the train arrived. Liz was painting her nails, Patty had dozed off. Kid continued to stare down the road, waiting to catch site of the scythe meister.

Ten minutes passed, and Kid became fidgety. He stood and casually paced up and down the station front.

"There you are," Liz called, startling Kid and arousing Patty from her nap. Kid turned to see Mari walking up the road, her eyes downcast in deep thought.

"What took you so long," Kid asked, crossing his arms. She looked up at him with a surprised look on her face, as if she hadn't realized he had been there.

"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked," she said. Kid was taken aback, this being the first time she had apologized for anything, but he composed himself quickly as the sound of the train's approach reached his ears.

"Time to really start our journey," he said to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys, sorry for the delay. Here's chapter 6

* * *

Silence. That's all that went between the five companions.

Mari liked it this way, allowing herself to dive into one of her books that she hadn't read in a while.

Kid also seemed to enjoy the silence, since it meant not having to converse with the scythe meister.

Liz and Patty weren't as lucky. The silence was putting Patty on edge, making her feel uncomfortable when she broke it, and Liz could still feel the rival tension between the two reapers even though they weren't even looking at each other.

They were two hours into their train ride. There was eleven hours left to go before they reached their next stop. Eleven hours to kill. Liz and Patty knew they had to break this silence they were in some how, or they would both go insane. They looked at each other and made a silent agreement. Liz took out a coin. She flipped it, hoping it showed tails. It did. Liz sighed in relief and Patty groaned. Patty always had tails.

She thought to herself for a moment or two before smiling and digging into her suitcase. She pulled out a Monopoly game.

"Ne ne, Kid. You want to play Monopoly with me and Sis?" she asked, sitting next to him. He looked over the game for a moment before shrugging.

"Sure, why not. It'll help pass the time," he said, giving her a small smile. Patty grinned and opened the box onto the compartment floor. They were in a first class coach, so there was plenty of space. Liz grinned and scooted over to Mari.

"You want to play too?" she asked.

"No thanks. I'm reading," Mari said to her blandly. She actually was just trying to avoid any interaction with Kid. Liz sighed and got on the floor. Patty wasn't as easy to convince. She stood up and grabbed Mari's arm.

"Come on Mari, please? We are playing partners and we need a fourth player," Patty asked, staring at her with pleading eyes. Mari glanced up between her and the board a few times before letting off a tired sigh and shutting her book. Patty cheered and sat back down on the floor. Liz smiled as Mari joined the three of them on the floor.

_She always seemed to have a soft spot for Patty. Guess some things never change._

()

The game passed quite smoothly for a good three hours. Mari and Patty teamed up with the car while Kid and Liz shared the thimble. Kid seemed to be focusing on collecting all the properties while Liz wanted to save their money, causing frequent arguments, leaving Patty to laugh at them and Mari to gain an upper hand.

Before they realized it, Mari and Patty had two of each property color and most of the railroads, along with more money than Kid and Liz together.

"Kid, I told you we should have saved our money. We may have the expensive properties, but we don't have any money left," Liz chastised him.

"What are you talking about? We have money. Look I'll count it and show you how much we have," he snapped, taking the money from her and leafing through it. The other three kept their attention on the boy as he counted the colored paper, the only one making noise being Patty, who let out a small giggle or two. Then as Kid reached the last money slip, his hands froze and his eye dilated in terror. He screamed, and dropped the money like thee burned him. "Asymmetrical! We have an asymmetrical amount of money, Liz! Only seventy-nine dollars how could this have happened?"

Kids collapsed onto the ground in tears. Everyone was silently staring at him in disbelief as he went through his personal breakdown. Then Kid heard laughter. Not the high, boisterous laughter Patty let out, but a lower, more contained laugh with a small, higher laugh from drawing in air to breathe. He looked up and saw Mari with her hand to her mouth in laughter, her eyes closed in glee and a small tint of pink decorating her cheeks. Liz and Patty were staring at her with total confusion. Kid sat up and watched her laugh, finding it surprisingly cute.

"I didn't think it was possible to make you laugh," he finally said with a satisfied smile. She stopped and sent him a curious look. "You should laugh more often, it makes you look nice." A blush painted her cheeks, and she glared down at him. She stood up and left, slamming the compartment door. "Did... I say something wrong?" he asked, looking between Liz and Patty.

()

Mari leaned against the wall in the train walkway. _What was that? Why did he say something like that?_

She covered her mouth in embarrassment, shutting her eyes and taking in a few deep breaths. _He such an idiot._

She shook her head and started walking down the walkway. She found her way to the bathroom nearby and stood in front of the mirror. _Me and my silly disguise. Why do I hide myself anyway. Sure, I hate being a reaper, but hiding my appearance won't change anything._

She started untying the hair-tie and watched her hair fall to her shoulders. The mousey-brown waves disappeared as her hair fell down, shifting to its natural, smooth ebony black, watching as the white lines on the right side of her head appeared. Her hair stopped halfway down her back, leaving no kinks or tangles. She slowly took off her glasses and set them down on the small counter, revealing her molten gold eyes. She stared at her reflection for a long time, searching out the imperfections that she found. It was so hard to find them, but now after so long of hiding her true appearance, she could see how much seven years of bitterness did to her. She was getting wrinkles from scowling so much, and getting shadows under her eyes.

Her eye suddenly burned with unshed tears, and she let them fall, allowing those seven years flow away with them. She cried into her calloused hands, wishing that things had been different. She was alarmed to hear the door to the bathroom open, momentarily thinking it had been Kid coming in. She looked up and saw Liz standing there.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" she asked, hugging Mari comfortingly. Mari hugged her back, burying her head into the older girl's shoulder.

"I don't know Liz, I just don't know," she sobbed. Liz didn't ask another question, just held her as she cried away her grief.

()

It had been years since Liz had seen Mari without her disguise on, and that was when she was still a little kid. She had almost forgotten how she had looked. _Almost._

Now that she stood before her as a well-developed teen, it was almost scary how much she resembled Kid. She had the same hair, same eyes and, in a twisted sort of way, the same temperamental attitude. _Same age. Both of them are reapers. Both of them look the same. They couldn't really be..._

By now, Mari had almost stopped crying. "Hey, kiddo. Mind if I asked you something?" Liz asked, still stroking her hair comfortingly. Mari just shrugged. "You never told me who your parents really were."

"I don't know my mom. My father is that stupid excuse for a reaper, Death," Mari said, a hateful look in her eyes. Liz stilled.

"Do you mean... _Lord_ Death?" she asked hesitantly. Mari nodded. _Damn, does that mean those two are twins? I don't think Mari even knows, and Kid definitely doesn't know. What should I do?_

()

Kid and Patty sat alone in their compartment eating supper that the train staff had brought them. It had been really silent ever since Liz had left to check on Mari, and it had left Kid to think about what he may have done to upset Mari so much. There wasn't much to it, though. He couldn't find any possible reason on how he had angered her. _All I did was give her a complement. Was that so terrible?_

He glanced over at Mari's scythe that leaned against her chair motionlessly.

_Don't taunt Jaden, you bastard!_

_I swear... I will take you down for what you have done! _

Kid had figured out on his own that Jaden was her weapons name, and that he must have been cursed somehow, seeing as he never shifted out of his scythe form. He just didn't understand what she had meant by 'what he had done'. He figured she assumed he had cursed him, which was ridiculous. He stood up, ignoring Patty's questioning gaze, and grabbed the handle with one had and the top of the large blade with the other. A shock of powerful magic went through him, making his skin tingle.

_The poor guy. It must be uncomfortable being in this form after a while. I wonder how long he's been like this._

Kid jumped in alarm when he heard the compartment door open. "What are doing?" Mari yelled. She ran over to him and pushed him down into the seat. "Don't you _dare_ touch Jaden again," she screamed, her emerald eyes wild with anger. He put his hands up in defense as she tried to slap him, and had successfully blocked her.

"Okay! Okay, I'm sorry," he shouted over her. Mari glared at him and grabbed the scythe out of his reach. She pulled down the overhead Hide-a-Bed and set it on it. She climbed onto it and turned away from them, covering herself with the blanket. Kid sat froze in shock, staring at Mari's back. He looked over at Liz and Patty. Liz was hiding behind Patty in fear and Patty had her hands raised in silent surrender, her bright eyes wide with shock. He sat up straight finally and shook his arm to shake off the slight pain that still rested where she had hit him. _Damn, she is really strong if she can hurt me just from slapping my arm._

He shook his head and pulled out the other Hide-a-Bed. He climbed up, took off his black coat and kicked off his shoes, leaving only his white undershirt and slacks on. He heard the girls set up the seats into beds to go to sleep to before letting the hum of the train lull him to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Kid yelped as a shoe hit him in the face waking him from sleep. He assessed the source of violence was from Mari. "Must you be so violent all the time," he yelled at her.

"When it concerns you? Yes," she said, slipping on her green boot. "Now hurry up and get ready, we are almost to the station."

Kid looked outside and saw the train station a few miles away. He checked his watch, seeing that the train was a little early. _How disappointing. It can't even keep hold of its regular scheduled time._

Kid quickly put on his coat and shoes and caught up with the girls, who had already made their way to the exit doors. The train slowly came to a stop at the station, and the doors slid open. The conductor was there to meet them.

"I hope your ride was pleasant," he said. Kid heard Mari give a sarcastic chuckle as she passed him. "Welcome to Harrisonburg, Virginia."

()

"Well, now that we are settled at the hotel, I vote for a little tourism," Liz grinned.

"I wanna go swimming at the pool here," Patty cheered.

"Now girls, this isn't a vacation," Kid said, flipping through channels on the television. "Just because we checked into a hotel doesn't mean we can relax like tourists."

"I never said we were tourists," Liz said, feigning innocence. Mari plopped down on the desk in the corner and logged into the hotel's curtsey computer.

"The word 'tourism' was the first word to plop out of your mouth when we shut the door," Mari said to her, not even looking away from the computer screen. Liz chuckled uneasily, being caught in her idea to escape. Mari growled and shut down the computer. "But, this place does have terrible internet, so might as well do something to stimulate the mind."

Liz and Patty cheered, running out the door, both of them already talking about the shops they had seen on cab ride to the hotel. Mari grabbed her carry-round and pulled out a small money clip.

"What, are you going shopping too?" Kid asked, genuinely curious.

"No, I'm going to the Starbucks I saw down the street," Mari answered him. She slipped on a dark grey beanie over her hair, and a cargo jacket, making her look more the college, tom boy intellectual type than the stand out-ish teenager she was. She picked up Jaden and stroked the top of his blade gently. The scythe glowed momentarily and then shrank down to the size of a hockey stick, the small blade disappearing. Mari took out a cover and slipped it over the blade, making it look just like one.

"Wait, we went through all this time with your scythe partner in his full size, and you could have done that the whole time?" Kid asked. Mari nodded. "Why didn't you? It would have saved you from prying eyes."

"It's uncomfortable for Jaden to be in his smaller form for a long time. Plus, I don't really care if people stare at me. Let them judge, it's not my fault Jaden is like this," she said. She shot Kid a piercing look before walking out of the hotel room. She walked over to the elevator and clicked the button to call it, but as the door opened she heard running footsteps coming to her. She stepped in, but Kid dodged inside just as the doors shut. "Another reason why I left: I didn't want to hang around you."

"Oh come on Mari," Kid almost pleaded. "Can't you go just one day without being so negative with me?"

"No," Mari said with a tone of finality. The elevator opened at ground level and she walked out with Kid at her heel.

"Mari, I really wish to understand you better. I don't understand a lot of things about you and I really just want answers-"

"You want answers? Fine. I hate you, you disgust me. That's it, the end," Mari snapped. She turned away and hurried to the door out of the hotel.

"But why?" Kid asked, blocking her retreat outside. Mari paused, staring him down hotly. Kid matched her stare, and added a fraction of confusion along with his stubborn fury. Mari sighed and shook her head in defeat. She glanced over him, curiosity the only thing left in her eyes.

"You truly don't remember, do you?" she asked. Kid shook his head. A pained look appeared in her emerald eyes. She sighed again and walked past him and through the door quietly. Kid followed her outside but paused there, watching her walk away. She stopped and looked back at him. "You coming or what?" Kid only hesitated for a moment before catching up to her and following her down the road.

()

_Okay, sure I'm glad she hasn't really been aggressive to me since we left, but she's seemed really down._

That were sitting together in Starbucks in silence. Both of them were sipping on mocha iced coffee, a personal favorite of his. He didn't find it all that strange that she liked the same beverage. _It is a pretty good choice in my opinion, it's bitterness is soothing. It's not surprising others would like it too._

Mari stared down into her cup somberly, just sipping away at it. Her eyes seemed strangely unguarded at the moment, so open and vulnerable. He could clearly read the sorrow in her eyes, the years of hardship and sadness. He just wished she would talk to him about these things she was bottling up.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" he asked. Mari put her cup down and stared up at him angrily. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking very serious.

"As you have already assumed, Jaden is cursed," she started. He nodded.

"How did it happen?" he asked her. She shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable.

()

_I never really looked back on that day. I barely even saw what happened._

"It was seven years ago. Jaden and I were living together on the streets of Death City. That day, a group of muggers stumbled upon our alleyway looking for trouble..."

_~Flashback~_

"Oi, shrimps. Give us those scraps you call food," the leader said. I glared up at them, hiding my loaf of bread behind my back. There was no way in hell they would be taking my food. Jaden stared up at them without emotion, then continued to nibble on his half of the loaf. "I said hand it over or else!"

"Or else what?" I asked, standing up to show I wasn't afraid of them. The group of men chuckled and came closer.

"You think you're tough shit, huh?" one of the guys said to me.

"She's pretty cute for a kid," another piped up.

"Maybe in a few years she could be some fun," one other said. The leader reached out to grab my chin. I would have countered easily by punching him across the face, but Jaden had come between us before contact was ever made. He stared at the man in a manner almost threatening, standing there with complete calm.

"Don't touch her," he said, his emotionless voice sounding intimidating to my ears. Over the months I've spent with him, I could tell when he was about to kill something just by his posture and words. He never showed much emotion in the first place. The group laughed at his bold statement, which I knew was very stupid of them for underestimating him. The leader pushed Jaden aside and grabbed my arm. A scythe blade appeared from my left and went into the man's arm. He screamed in agony, but the scythe was to deep in to allow him to draw his arm back in. "I said don't touch her." Jaden's voice was now full on threatening, and I knew immediately that his temper had peeked for a moment. He pulled his scythe arm back and the leader stepped away from them, holding his bloody arm close to him.

"You little brat, how dare you," he yelled. "Take him out!"

"Mari, run away," Jaden said to me. The other men took out guns.

"But we can take them out easily as a team," I argued.

"Don't argue with me and run," he shouted. I flinched at his harsh tone; he never shouted at me. The group fired, but Jaden blocked the bullets with both his arms forming a scythe shield in from of him. I only waited a moment, looking between him and the firing men, before taking off down the alley and around the corner.

I dodged behind a dumpster, using a box to cover me from view. I hadn't gone to far away, but a safe enough distance to not get hurt and still hear what was going on. The sound of gunshots rang through the alley, soon being harmonized with the sound of pain-filled screams and metal through bone. The gunshots slowly disappeared and the number of screams lowered to none. Soon there was silence. I pondered on going back to him, but decided against it and just waited for him to come get me.

A new scream suddenly echoed through the alley, and a blinding light passed over me. The scream was familiar. Jaden!

_I came out of hiding and sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran back to where I had left him, and I was horrified at what I saw. The whole group of men had been slaughtered, blood splattered here and there, bodies torn apart and littered all over the place. There wasn't one soul present in the whole group. Jaden wasn't in sight. I walked through the litter of body parts and caught sight of a bloody shaft. I ran over and found Jaden in his scythe form, his blade covered in blood. I knelt down and picked him up._

"Jaden, what's wrong? Why are you in scythe form?" I asked. No answer. "Jaden, talk to me! Say something!" Still no sound came from the cold scythe in my hands. "Jaden, please answer me! Wake up," I cried. I used my soul perception, and was alarmed when I saw his soul was almost unresponsive, and there were bonds on it, as if it was being held down forcefully. He's a prisoner.

"Don't worry Jaden. I'll free you. I find who did this to you and make them pay. I promise!"

~Flashback End~

Kid could see now why she was so attached to this thought of hers. Once she finished her story, she simply stared intently at him. She was waiting for him to say something, but he really didn't know what to say. Her past was much harsher than he had imagined. She had to live on the streets as a child with only one friend in the world. To go through that and then suddenly have that friend practically taken away from you, he couldn't imagine how it must have felt to be in her shoes at that moment.

"I'm sorry. I never would have imagined-," he started.

"Of course you wouldn't. You live the well off life, never going through the same hardships I had. Not that it matters to you," Mari said to him.

"I wish I could help find who did it," Kid said. Mari stilled, and threw her coffee at him, which he dodged. "What was that for?"

"Shut up! You act so innocent and stupid," Mari yelled, standing up in her chair. Kid stood up.

"I don't understand what it is you have against me! What have I ever done to deserve your hatred?" he shouted, ignoring the people staring at them.

"You should know! You're the one that cursed him," she screamed. Kid stilled, shocked at her accusation.

"What makes you think I did it? You said you didn't see who it was!"

"Death himself said it was you! He used your name and told me you were in Death City," she said, her hateful glare back at full force.

_Father said I cursed Jaden? Why would he lie about something like that?_

"He must be lying. I was nine years old! I wasn't strong enough back then to do such powerful magic, and I'm not that powerful yet either!" Mari was silent, so Kid took it to his advantage to continue. "Whoever cursed Jaden is much more powerful than I am. Maybe a witch cursed him. Besides, I barely knew anyone outside of my family at that age, I have never met either of you until you started at the DWMA." Kid watched the information slowly sink in, realization dawning in her shocked expression. She slowly sat back down on her chair.

"B-but the old man said... Oh my god, I can't believe I let that bastard lead me on." She buried her face in her arms, the shame and sadness coming from her soul's wavelength. He didn't move, knowing it would only make matters worse if he tried to comfort her. "Then that means, He was leading me on the whole time, and only wanted to trap me back into Death City. And now I can't escape his jurisdiction again." She brought Jaden from her back and hugged him close to her, and kid could see the tears running down her face. "I'm such a fool."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8! The symmetrical chapter dedicated to Kiddo-kun!  
Kid: *noms chapter* :D  
Yes now stop eating the chapter Kid so they can read it... :3

* * *

They were riding on a train again, on their way to the border between the United States and Canada, and it was quiet once again. Liz was worried. After she and Patty had returned from shopping, they had found Kid with his hands tangled in his hair in confusion and pain, and Mari had locked herself in the bathroom with Jaden. When she tried to ask Kid what was wrong, he just shook his head and said nothing. Mari had refused to leave the bathroom that night, and she had heard sobbing.

Now Mari sat across from Kid, staring out the window, a dead look in her eyes. Kid stared at the compartment floor, still looking lost and confused. Mari had ignored Patty's pleas to play cards with her and Kid only told her that he wasn't in the mood, so they had just sat in silence for a good couple hours. Liz sighed.

"Do you guys want to tell us what happened yesterday?" Liz finally asked, putting her cards on the small table between Patty and herself. Kid looked up at her with a questioning look and Mari just sighed, shifting Jaden's blade to the left above her head. "Something must have happened, neither of you have said a word since both of us came back to the room yesterday."

"Did you two fight again?" Patty asked. Kid shook his head and stared out the window. Liz stared between the two twins sadly. _Did they find out they were twins? No, there would be more violence than silence. And usually when they fight there is a heavy tension in the air. There's no tension this time, if anything it's sort of depressing._

"Liz, can I speak with you in private," Kid spoke up, breaking her out of her musings.

"Sure Kid," she answered. Kid stood and walked into the train corridor, and she followed him. He shut the door and kept walking until they were a considerable distance from the compartment. "What is it?"

"Mari told me about what happened to Jaden. She told you as well, am I right?" he asked. Liz nodded, now understanding why they were both so somber. Kid sighed and broke eye contact, shifting back and forth for a moment, as if he was considering telling her something important. He sighed again and then looked back at her. "Mari had told me my father said I was the one who had cursed him."

Now this Liz was shocked at. Mari had forgotten to mention that little detail when she explained what happened with Jaden to her. Now she understood why both of them were so depressed-looking, and it also explained Mari's violent tendencies towards Kid. Kid must have explained to Mari about how that would have been impossible, causing her to become confused and upset. It would also have caused Kid to become confused about why Lord death would tell Mari such a ridiculous story. Her guesses were confirmed with Kid's next statement.

"I don't understand. Why would Father tell her such a thing? Why would he lie to someone like that? Is it some sort of test? If it is, then why didn't he inform me about it? Was it a test for me? Is there a connection between what happened seven years ago to her and me?" He continued to babble questions, and she could tell by his twitching and pacing that he was going to break down from all the muddled confusion he was bringing onto himself.

She grabbed his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks. He faced her and continued to rant and ask question, a panicked look in his eyes. He had his hands tangled in his hair again, and he was barely keeping himself on his feet. "Kid, calm down! Be quiet and listen to me," Liz said to him harshly. He shut up and looked up at her with watery eyes. "Take a deep breath and relax. You'll give yourself a heart attack." He did as he was told and moved away from her, leaning against the wall and sighing.

"Sorry Liz, I'm okay now," he said, his voice calm and the cool, slightly withdrawn look back in his eyes. "Thank you."

"No problem, although I do agree with you that it's strange for Lord Death to lie about something this important," Liz said to him. _Especially when it concerned_ both _his children._

Kid nodded. "Well, whatever the reason, my father must have had some sort of explanation for his actions. Perhaps once we return to Death City I'll ask him about it."

"Good idea," she said.

()

_Only two more hours until the train arrives near the border._

Mari sighed. Liz and Patty had ran off some time ago to chase after the food cart, and had left her alone with Kid. She continued to stare out the window, focusing on ignoring his presence. She wasn't sure what she was to do anymore. She was trapped in her fathers web of plot and deceit. Not only that, but he had to drag Death the Kid into his little plan as well.

_What has this guy ever done to him? I mean sure, he's an annoying brat and a little over-obsessive about most things. He's also coy, stuck up, a know-it-all, and he acts higher than others; not to mention he's also a reaper. Other than those strange facts, he isn't half bad of a person. And all I have been doing this whole time is trying to kill him with no truthful reason. My father, the Great Lord Death... Bah! He's a lying sack of shit, and a terrible excuse for a parent. And he wonders why I have no respect for him whatsoever._

Mari sighed angrily, which turned melancholy.

_Although, I shouldn't be talking. I haven't showed any respect for Kid either, and he never did anything to deserve my hatred in the first place. _

She glanced over at Kid, and was surprised to see him relaxed against the window, eyes closed in slumber. She stared at him silently in wonder. She stood up and crouched down, balancing herself on the balls of her feet so she could get a better look at his face.

_He looks so calm. Usually he's all seriousness, and his expression is totally blank. He looks so peaceful._

Kid then mumbled something quietly, so quietly Mari had almost missed it. "Sister..."

_Wait, why does that sound familiar?_

"Sister! Wait for me!"

"Can't catch me!"

"What was that?" she asked herself. She sat down, feeling dizzy.

_"Daddy! Brother showed me how to summon Belial!"_

"That's great Mari! You're going to be a strong reaper one day for sure!"

"Mari, are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick," Kid spoke up, startling her. She must have woken him up.

_"Sister, are you okay? You look like you're going to throw up!"_

Mari stood quickly and exited out of the compartment as fast as her shaking legs could carry her. She shut the door and leaned against it, and listened as Kid banged on the door so she would let him out.

_Where are these memories coming from? What is going on?_


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry it took so long to post this! At least I finally got it up! School has started up again today, so... Fun!

Disclaimer: I don't own soul eater. I only hold rights to my OC's Mari, Jaden, and any other extra side characters I add.

* * *

They were finally at Niagara Falls. It was like any other tourist spot would seem like, bustling with tourists and laughter. Just adding a touch of noise and water. Mari was dressed in a dark brown pea coat and black leggings under her self-cut shorts. She was also wearing her grey beanie again and had a pair black Balmain Rangers on. She had Jaden in his shrunken form again and covered with the hockey stick slip. Kid was also dressed quite casually, if not a little high end. He had on a black trench coat with eight black belts with silver buckles to pin it shut, but he kept it wide open. He kept his regular black shoes and trousers on, but had replaced his normal suit top with a light grey shirt and wore a pair of thin sunglasses. Needless to say, he stood out more than she did just by standard social graces and posture. He didn't need to hide his Lines of Sanzu to stick out like a sore thumb.

Against their own whims, the sisters still had to dress similarly to support symmetry. They both sported white t-shirts and boot cut jeans. Liz still got away with being different by wearing black high-heeled boots while Patty wore white tennis shoes with hearts decorating the side. Liz also pinned her hair up into a ponytail and wound it through a white ball cap so her frizzed up hair wasn't noticeable. Patty wore her white ball cap backwards on her head.

"We're finally here. Thought we would never get here," Liz said. Patty ran to the ledge of the rope gates to see down The Falls.

"It's so far down," she gasped, leaning over some.

"Patty don't lean over the edge you could fall," Liz shouted, and Patty giggled and moved away.

"Girls, we are not here for fun! We are on a very important assignment," Kid called over to them. They returned to his side.

"Yea, what is the assignment anyway? I forgot," Liz said.

"A small coven of young witches has gathered over here and causing mayhem," Mari said with very little emotion in her voice.

"Rumor has it they have been kidnapping tourists and feeding their souls to something," Kid added.

"S-something? What kind of something?" Liz asked.

"Most likely a creature of some sort, planning on turning it Kishin," Mari told her.

"You really sure it's here? There doesn't seem to be any damage," Patty said, looking around dramatically.

"It's the workers jobs to keep things calm and functioning," Kid said, looking around at people with tense curiosity. "All may seem well on the outside, but look at how every uniformed person is looking around and walking." The girls looked around saw what he meant.

"They all look terrified, tense," Mari remarked.

"It's as if they are waiting for a catastrophe to happen," Liz added.

"They probably are," Kid said to her.

A small man that looked in his forties suddenly approached them He looked just as jumpy as everyone else, and seemed not to have slept in a long time judging by the bags and bloodshot eyes. "Can I help you four?" he asked.

"Are you Edgar Smith, the head caretaker of the Niagara Falls?" Kid asked.

"Oh yes, do you need something?" he asked. Mari and Kid both took out their meister badges showed them to him.

"We are students from the DWMA. We were sent to help with your little nuisance problem," Mari said to him. Edgar Smith's eyes lit up with relief.

"Oh thank heavens you finally arrived. Please come with me to my office and we can discuss this in a more private area," he said, motioning them to follow. They all exchanged glances before following him to the main offices building. Edgar led them into a large office and sat at his desk There were only two chairs present for guests, so Kid and Mari took them while the sisters stood on either side of Kid. "I'm so glad you came to help us on such short notice. I know it may seem a little extreme what with dealing with three witches, but it shouldn't be much of a challenge for such well trained meisters as yourselves."

"Do you think you can give us more information on these witches habits?" Kid asked.

"And possibly about that little rumor about what they are doing with their kidnapped tourists?" Mari added. Smith cringed, but nodded.

"Well, they don't usually show up until late evening," he started. "They always reek havoc and destroy buildings and such. It's a miracle we still have the place calm. One always goes for the buildings, using blue fire to burn them down. Another causes the panic and attacks people using ice magic. They both look similar, and seems to just do it for fun. The third is the one who drags the tourists off. She wears a hood, so you can't see many of her features, but her eyes glow purple and people just float off the ground and fly away with them."

"And the creature? Have you actually seen it?" Mari asked. Smith let out a nervous laugh.

"No, I have not, but I have been hearing loud growling that echoes over the roaring of The Falls lately. It seems to get louder every night, so I have no doubt there is something that those witches are creating." Kid and Mari both nodded. Liz shivered and hid behind Patty as Smith spoke about the creature, and Patty simply stood there silently and smiled. "So, do you think you can help us?"

"Of course. We'll have taken care of these witches before they can take anyone else," Kid assured him. Smith grinned and stoop with his hand outstretched, thanking them over and over. Kid stood and shook his hand before wiping it clean with a handkerchief. Mari also shook his hand and sent him a calming smile.

"We'll make sure no one else is harmed," she said to him. "I promise."

()

"Why do I have to do it?"

Liz was crying and hugging Kid's legs as he glared down at her with his fiery gaze. "Do you think I like ruining our symmetry? Someone has to be taken by the witches so they would lead us to the creature!"

"Then make Mari do it, She would have Jaden with her so she can defend herself," she cried.

"And what if they notice that she has Jaden on her back? They might kill her in the air," Kid said. "No, it has to be you."

()

The sunset was bloody red and foreboding. Liz stood out in the open and practically alone save for a few straggling tourists. She was trying to act natural and look over the falls, but she was visibly shaking and looked like she was about to faint of fright. She certainly felt that way too.

_I'm going to die here. I'm going to die here. I don't want to die. Please let me hide!_

That's when she snapped and ran to wear the others were hiding. Mari growled at her in irritation and began pushing her back to the spot, but Liz fought her and tried going inside, just causing more of a fight. Kid face-palmed and ignored the urge to go out there and punch some sense into both of them.

"Look, the witches," Patty called out, pointing to the sky. Kid looked up and saw them, forgetting the two girls arguing. Not far off, three women on brooms were quickly approaching them. "Mari, get inside!"

"There's no time, close the door," Kid ordered. Patty nodded and shut the door. Mari and Liz stopped fighting, noticing the witches approach. Liz ran to the door and started pounding on it.

"Let me in! I don't want to be monster food," she cried. Kid and Patty didn't answer.

"It's no use, here they come," Mari said.

One witch hung back while the other two flew over everyone. One had bright red hair that flowed down past her waist, red eyes that seemed to flicker, and wore a red and orange dress that looked like fire on her skin. She was also wearing a orange witch's hat and knee high leather heeled boots. She grinned broadly and hovered over the buildings, her words echoing over the waterfalls. "Flicker. Flame. Fire's Bane. Turn buildings to soot and give others pain!" She waved her hand out and fire shot away from her at the buildings and ground. The few tourists there screamed and ran.

The other witch grinned coldly at the running people and went in front of their escape. Her long blue hair was in a ponytail and she wore a blue witch's hat. Her cobalt blue eyes were cold and terrible. She also wore a dress, but it was blue and seemed to look like flowing water and sharp ice. She wore similar black heeled boots as the other witch. Her cold voice echoed, "Snow. Frost. Icey Wake. Use towers and walls to stop their escape!" She snapped her fingers and walls of ice appeared around the area, blocking them all in.

"Do your thing Persona," the red witch yelled. The third witch with the dark purple hooded cloak drifted closer, her face completely hidden from view. She swept her arms out parallel to the ground, revealing a coal black shirt that had sections cut out of the sleeve and stomach to look like runes and she also wore white pants. She wore no shoes. Purple eyes glowed through the dark cloaks shadows. Mari finally came out of her daze.

"Liz, they are going to take everyone! We have to stop them," she yelled. She sprang into action, running at them and pulling Jaden off her back. Liz looked between the door and Mari before swearing under her breath and following. Jaden's blade glowed and grew out again, tearing through the cover and shredding it to pieces. She jumped up and sliced at the one they called Persona. She flew out of reach and her glowing eyes looked down at her. Mari felt a chill run through her like she was being pierced by her stare. She felt her feet leave the ground and her body freeze up. _What's going on?_

"A meister?" the fire witch asked. "Persona, what about the others?"

"Trust me, she is all we need," Persona said, her young voice smooth as honey. The fire witch shrugged and started flying away and the ice witch was right behind her. Persona looked back at her and hovered closer. "You may be able to fool others around you, young reaper, but you cannot fool me."

Mari tried to move, scream or do anything, but she was frozen. She could barely even feel herself breathe. On the inside, she was panicking. _If this witch can see what I am, then she is incredibly strong._

The witch smirked, and turned away, flying after the other two. Mari could faintly feel the wind rush past her as she flew away with them, and she could hear Liz calling out to her from far away.

()

It had gone quiet. To quiet.

Kid stood up from the floor. "Come on Patty, I think they are gone," he said. Patty came out from behind the front desk and followed him outside. Outside was a disaster. Buildings were burning, people were scared. The whole area was blocked off by ice.

"Kid!" Liz ran up to them, looking scared and worried.

"Liz, how are you here? They were supposed to take you with them," Kid said.

"Well they didn't! Mari had tried to start fighting them, but the witches captured her instead and flew off with her," Liz told him. He swore under his breath.

"Which way did they go?" he asked. Liz pointed the way and he took off after them. _There is no way I am letting them hurt her!_


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry it took so long to post this!

Disclaimer: all rights go to the original owner! I only have rights to the OC's I added!

* * *

Mari struggled against the bindings that the witches had put around her. They were in a small valley just outside the city. They were skillfully cloaked by trees and fog. The fire and ice witch were lounging on a large boulder. Persona was in front of a cliched cauldron and stirring a glowing substance with a giant ladle.

"Release me," Mari yelled. The fire witch snapped a flaming whip inches away from her bare toes.

"Shut your trap, silly meister," she said. "No use trying to get free. Your soul is the key to our rise in power."

"Or so Persona says," the ice witch added. The fire witch rolled her eyes.

"Really, Phrost. You are so dull. You always ruin the mood," the fire witch whined. Phrost sighed.

"Silence," Persona snapped. "If you break my concentration the potion will be ruined and I'll have to start all over again."

"Yea Pheonexa. Don't break her concentration," Phrost teased. Pheonexa hissed at her and Persona sighed.

"Would you quit your bickering? You're giving me a headache," Mari said. Pheonexa and Phrost both sent her a glare, one hot and one ice cold. Pheonexa stood up and walked over to her. Then she slapped her, leaving a white hot mark on her cheek. Mari cringed and swallowed back her cry of pain as the heat slowly ebbed away.

"You have no right to tell us what to do in such a state," Pheonexa hissed. Her hard look turned pleasant and she reach down. She picked Jaden up from the ground and brushed some dirt off his blade. "What a beautiful scythe partner you have. I think I'll keep him."

Mari felt anger surge through her. "You will put him down. _Now_!"

"I don't think I will," the witch responded, giggling too sweetly.

"I said put him down you bratty, good for nothing excuse for a witch," Mari yelled. Pheonexa's red eyes flashed dangerously.

"How dare you speak to me like that," she yelled, throwing her hand back to strike Mari. She swung down, but Mari ducked her head and lashed back at her, biting her hand hard. Pheonexa screamed painfully and pulled back, and Mari stomped on her foot. Pheonexa recoiled and dropped Jaden. Mari brought out her foot and angled his blade just right, slicing through the binds. She grabbed Jaden and sliced out at them. Pheonexa barely dodged her and sat in a tree. Phrost dodged to easily. Mari ran to the cauldron and jumped onto the rim, tilting it over. Persona screamed and jumped away from the hissing liquid.

Mari took their distraction to her advantage and ran towards the trees. A shot of piercing cold ran up her spine suddenly. She screamed, arching her back from the pain. Three more shots of cold threw her to the ground, and ice formed over her hands and bound her to the ground on her hands and knees. Jaden's shaft was painfully cold against her skin now from the ice, but she couldn't release her grip on him. The cold slowly crept across her back and down her body. The pain was intense. As it reached up her neck another scream clawed out of her chest and everything went black.

()

They had continued to run in the direction the witches had gone. It had led them to a wooded area. Liz and Patty transformed into their pistol forms so they couldn't accidentally get separated. As the minutes passed, Kid started to get worried. He felt like he was going in circles, and the fog wasn't helping him keep his footing. A distant sound reached his ears and her looked behind him.

"Did you girls hear that?" he asked.

"It sounded like a scream," Liz said.

"Mari is in trouble?" Patty asked, sounding terrified. Another shrill scream echoed through the trees, much louder this time, and was cut off shortly. Kid summoned Beelzebub quickly and flew up over the tree tops, following where the scream came from. There was a small gap in the trees that seemed to be a clearing. There was purple steam floating out of it. He hovered closer and saw the three witches struggling to pick up a over-turned cauldron.

"Kid, look," Liz gasped. "It's Mari! Over by the trees!"

Kid looked over and saw Mari. She was on her hands and knees with Jaden in hand. She was encased in ice, her face twisted in agony and her mouth open in a silent scream.

"How cruel," Kid spoke through clenched teeth.

"How are we going to get her free?" Liz asked.

"I think I have an idea. The one who froze her must be the blue haired witch. She looks similar to the red haired witch, and is her opposite. So the red haired witch controls fire. If we distract them and get her to attack while in front of Mari, we can dodge her and the attack will melt the ice."

"Uh, Kid, that's a great plan and all, but what if the fire melts the ice, but ends up burning Mari alive?" Liz pointed out. damn, I didn't think of that one.

"We will just have to risk it. It's either my plan or leave her to slowly suffocate. Either way, she has less of a chance of dieing with the former." Liz stayed silent this time, her soul wavelength showing submission. "Patty you seem unusually silent." There was a small pause between his words.

"I- Kid I'm scared for Mari," Patty finally spoke, her voice shaking a little. Kid sighed, frowning in worry.

"So am I, Patty," he simply said. He flew down and jumped to the ground a few feet in front of Mari, glaring the witches down as they turned to look at him in surprise. "The three of you are to release Mari now!"

The fire witch turned to him with a hateful sneer. "And what gives you the right to order us?" she asked. It was obvious she was seriously angry. Kid looked her over again and saw angry looking bite marks on her hand. iLooks like Mari was able to put up some kind of a fight at least./i

"I said let her go!"

"Shut your mouth you nuisance," she yelled. The ice witch grabbed her shoulder suddenly, her cold eyes staring straight at him.

"Calm yourself Pheonexa. He is no threat to us," she said.

"Would you two ignore him and help me," the cloaked witch called, not paying any mind to him and trying to lift the large cauldron. "I don't want to be stuck with you two for the rest of my life." The ice witch nodded to Pheonexa and went back to the cauldron. Pheonexa glared at him one more time and went with her sister. Kid felt a streak of anger pass through him from their actions. He fired a round from Liz at the cauldron where Pheonexa's hand was going to grab at it. She shrieked and recoiled from the pot, glaring back at him.

"I said _let her go_," he yelled, not holding his anger back in his words. He saw the cloaked witch straighten and look over at him finally, her mouth parted in shock. _She must have felt my wavelength._

"You have no idea who you are messing with," Pheonexa said. Fire was starting to form around her right hand, sending an angry glow to her features. A cold blue light was glowing on the ice witch's opposite arm. They linked their non-glowing hands, and instantly bright purple lightning connected their glowing hands.

"This doesn't look good Kid," Liz said to him.

"Maybe we should get out of the way," Patty warned.

"Not yet," he told them. "Just a few more seconds." The glowing energy on their arms turned dark purple, and the pressure in the air multiplied to almost crushing levels.

"Kid we should really get out of the way now," Liz yelled, terrified.

"No, not yet," he said.

"Die now, you stupid boy," both witches said together. A loud cracking sounded behind him, but he refused to take his eyes off the witches. The purple energy blasted towards him, and it caused him to go momentarily blind. He registered the girls screaming, and then a shadow about his height coming into view.

"Reaper Defense Art: Stance of the Living!" Blood red light surrounded him, and the purple wave flew over them like a tidal wave. Then the wave of magic pulled back and flew at the witches. The ice witch screamed and jumped out of the way, but Pheonexa wasn't quick enough and was swallowed by the current of magic. The glow slowly faded away, and the shadow in front of him too on shape and color. To his shock, Mari came into view, her glasses cracked and broken. Her eye behind the broken lens was no longer green, but molten gold. She was in a defensive pose, one hand on the top of Jaden's scythe shaft, pointing towards the sky, and the other holding the middle stiffly. She was glaring off at the last two witches, her eyes glowing with intensity and power through the gathered darkness.

()

"Reaper Combat Art: Stance of the Dead!" Mari pushed down the blade's end and spun the shaft over her wrist, shifting her stance again with slow, precise movements. "You dare threaten to kill my friends. Prepare to die by my hand you worthless witch," she said, her voice echoing with hidden power. Phrost growled down at her.

"You who killed my sister," she called down, her teeth bared and clenched in hatred. "I will destroy you!"

"Try it," Mari yelled back, running at her. Ice formed into Phrost's hands, and she threw them with lightning fast motions. Mari dodged them and continued to run. Phrost threw ice blades and jumped down from the tree. Ice formed across the ground as she approached Mari with blinding speed. Mari also sped up, pulling Jaden back farther to strike the single blow it would take to kill this witch. As the distance between them lessened, Phrost formed one last ice dagger into her hand. They both let out a fierce cry as they lunged out. Mari swung Jaden's blade upwards at her chest, and Phrost sliced straight upwards.

They passed with the sound of tearing flesh and metal on bone, and also the sound of snapping rubber.

()

Liz and Patty both gasped as the two girls passed each other in a final strike. Everything went still, both of them standing silently for a breath of a second, and then Phrost fell, bursting into snow and leaving a small soul in her wake. Mari on the other hand, stood at attention with her back slightly facing him from the right only showing a small scratch that released a small line of blood down her cheek.

Kid watched as her mousy-brown hair fell from its ponytail down to her shoulders. Her hair slowly began to shift to ebony black as it fell, and her clothes also seemed to shift. Her pea coat was replaced with a long, black, hooded trench coat and her black Balmain Rangers shifted into red and black belted boots. He faintly noticed her glasses falling from her face, broken in half.

After another short pause, she turned to her left to look at the witches soul, and he saw the three white lines, he cold, pale skin that had replaced her Southern tan, and the golden hued eyes that had been passed down the reaper line for generations and that held the intensity that reminded him of one person. His father.

"You -," he started, but fell silent as he failed to form his thoughts into words. She looked over at him, but looked away and over to the still-overturned cauldron. He heard tiny whimpers coming from behind it.

"There is still one more witch," she said, her voice void of emotion. Kid turned and slowly walked towards the cauldron with Liz and Patty poised to shoot. Mari followed his slow pace, her scythe raised for an attack. They walked to either side of the cauldron and jumped into view of the hooded witch. "Surrender yourself!"

The witch screamed and tried to get to her feet, only moving away a few feet. She turned back to them and her hood fell away, revealing her tear-streaked face and dark (almost black) purple hair. "Please, don't kill me! I only helped them create that monster because they threatened to kill me! Please have mercy," she begged, her voice sobbing and terribly young sounding. Her frightened eyes are what gave her away. _She's only a child!_

Kid lowered Liz and Patty somewhat, but Mari didn't move. She continued to look over the small girl with her intense gaze, Jaden still raised to strike. Kid didn't move, he didn't speak. The tension Mari gave off mixed with the fear the witch gave off, causing the air to feel heavy and almost unbearably terrifying. Then she finally moved, moving Jaden's blade downward. The witch cringed, shutting her eyes and putting her arm up in defense. Mari never touched her with the blade, but instead set it down on the dew-covered ground. The girl looked back up at her slowly. Mari leaned down some, using Jaden's shaft for support, and held a hand out to her.

"Come with us."

She didn't seem to say this as a demand, but more as a request. It was as if she was asking her for permission to take her with them. The witch looked between Mari's eyes and hand, and then grabbed onto it with her own shaking hand. Mari gave her a small, reassuring smile and pulled her to her feet. "Persona, do you know where the creature is?" she asked, her voice still soft and reassuring. The girl took in a shaky breath and nodded. "Will you take us to it?" She nodded again and pointed to the trees with her free hand. She began walking, and Mari followed, still holding onto her hand gently.

Kid watched in amazement, and then slowly found himself following them at a short distance.


	11. Chapter 11

They continued into the forest. Kid kept close watch on Mari while listening to the young witch talk.

"The monster isn't far from here, but watch your step. He tends to take advantage of you when you aren't paying attention to your surroundings," she said.

"What exactly is this thing?" Liz asked. Kid could feel the tension in her wavelength.

"He's a creature that the Sisters created. It feels off human souls," the witch said, looking back at them.

"We've been feeding it for almost a year and a half now."

"Then how isn't it a Kishin yet?" Mari asked.

"You remember that potion you knocked over? It's made to extract the soul from humans but still keep them alive. I found out through much research that a Kishin will only be created if it consumed the souls of _dead _humans, but with the help of that potion the humans are still alive, but are nothing but living shells. So if that monster eats the souls, it will gain the strength and power of a Kishin, but will still hold its sanity and be controllable."

"Why would you make something so dangerous," Kid asked, breaking his eye contact from Mari and to the witch. She trembled a little when she glanced back at him, but held firm and answered.

"I did it to help the DWMA. The Kishin killed my mother, and I wanted to find a way to help the great Lord Death stop the Kishin from being reborn." She looked down at the ground sadly. "It was going so well too."

"But them the Fire and Ice Sisters found you," Mari added. The witch nodded.

"They heard about my research at the last Witch Council Gathering. They searched me out and forced me to help them. Everything was going so well, but then as I continued my research and study of the monster, I found that there was a small flaw in my hypothesis."

"And what's that?" Patty blurted. The witch looked back, a dark look in her eyes.

"As he feasted on the souls, his hunger just continued to grow to the point of madness if he wasn't fed regularly. He broke out of his cage once and went into town, searching for souls to eat. I was able to recapture it before to much damage was done, but I wasn't fast enough and he had killed someone. Their soul was never found."

"And that's when rumor got out about the monster being made by you three," Kid finished for her. She nodded. "And there's a chance it could have eaten that missing soul?"

"It is possible, but I never found out. All I know is after that day he had become very unpredictable and easily angered. I am afraid that at this stage if he devours a dead human's soul, he will shift to full Kishin, but will be that much stronger and harder to defeat."

"So we need to kill it now," Mari said.

"Let's go monster hunting," Patty cheered.

"Patty, we already are monster hunting," Liz said.

"Oh yea, I forgot," Patty said in an awed voice. Kid shook his head and sighed.

"Anyway just keep on your toes. You never know where he will come from," the witch said. Kid focused on his surroundings for a time, but soon found himself distracted again by the anomaly that was now Mari's true identity. _Is she a reaper? But how haven't I noticed it before? Why would she hide that from everyone? _Mari glanced back at him and glared. Kid quickly looked away. _She still hates me. Why does she hate me?! She knows the truth, so why would she still hate me?_

"Look out, he's coming," the little witch exclaimed. Kid started and turned to his left, but wasn't fast enough. An arm flew at him out of no where and threw him through a tree and against a second. He slumped down to the ground, the world spinning and hazy. A sharp pain went up his back, but it disappeared almost instantly.

"Kid," Liz and Patty both exclaimed. He felt their warm metal against his hands disappear and felt someone hold him up a little. He looked up and saw the blurry image of Liz above him. "Kid, stay with us. Stay awake," she said to him. He could hear Patty crying next to him.

_Why does she sound so scared? Why is Patty crying? I'm fine, girls. I'm just a little dizzy._

"Kid you listen to me, you stay alive you hear?" he heard Mari yell.

_But I'm fine, what are you talking about? Damn, I'm so tired…_

"Kid, stay awake," Patty sobbed. He reached up and touched Patty's cheek to comfort her.

_I'll be fine. I'm just… going to rest my eyes. _He shut his eyes, too tired to keep them open. He let his arm drop back to his chest, and felt warm liquid drip down his arm.

"Kid no," the sisters yelled, their voices growing fainter.

_Just for a little bit girls… I'll be fine…_

Just before he fell asleep, he heard Mari yell one last thing, and it confused him beyond comprehension. "Brother!"

()

_He was laying down in his back yard, staring up at the clouds. _How did I get here?

_He sat up slowly and looked around. Everything was in monotone. Unfamiliar children's toys littered the yard, and he noticed the old tire swing that his father took down years ago. _Where did all of this come from?

"_Daddy," a voice called. Kid looked over and saw a small child run across the lawn and climb onto the tire swing. He noticed the white stripes in his contrasting black hair and saw that it was him as a child. "Daddy, come push me," his younger self called. Kid took a few steps backwards as his father came __outside without his mask and robe on. It had been so long since he had seen his father like this that he had forgotten how similar he really was to the adult reaper. Same eyes, same haircut save for the fact that his was a little shorter than his father's, and also that his father's stripes were fully connected._

"_Alright Kiddo I'm coming," his father said, using his natural tone of voice instead of his silly voice used at the school. Lord Death walked over to young Kid and started pushing him on the swing, young Kid laughing like he hadn't a care in the world._

Oh I understand now. This is a dream; one of my memories as a child.

"_Daddy!"_

_Lord Death, Kid and Young Kid all looked over at the back door. To Kid's shock, a little girl with bright, golden eyes and black braided pigtails stood in the doorway. She also had white stripes, but they were on the right side and not the left. She glared up at Lord Death and stomped her foot._

"_Daddy you said you would play with me first," she cried, crossing her arms and looking up at him with her fiery gaze. Lord Death seemed unfazed and just blinked before kneeling down to her height._

"_Sweet Heart, I just wanted to push your brother a few times," he told her._

"_But you promised," the little girl whined, her eyes growing watery. Lord Death sighed. Young Kid came to the rescue and jumped down from the tire swing. He ran over to the girl and grabbed her hand._

"_Come on Mari! let's go climb the tree," Young Kid said, pointing at the tree._

M-Mari!?

_The little girl looked at Young Kid and up the tree with a smile. "Okay Brother, I'll race you," she said, pushing him to the ground and running. Young Kid got to his feet._

"_No fair! Sister, wait for me," he yelled. Little Mari giggled and looked back._

"_Can't catch me!"_

_Kid watched in horror as the two children played. _No. Mari can't be my sister. No way! That's impossible!

()

Kid woke up on a bed, not the ground. The room was really bright, and he had to squint his eyes to fight against it. He could hear a steady beeping sound to his left. Once his eyes adjusted, he realized he was in a hospital room. He was hooked up to machines and IV's, and he noticed the heavy gauze that was wrapped around his head.

He looked to the side and saw Liz asleep in a chair with her arm in a sling, Patty in the second bed but looking perfectly fine. _What happened while I was knocked out?_

He quickly sat up, but instantly fell back to the bed as pain shot through his body. He cried out at the shocking pain, and clutched his burning chest. Patty stirred, and sat up. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and stared at him for a second in puzzlement. Then her eyes lit up and she hopped off the bed.

"Kid you're awake," she cried, hugging him tightly. Kid flinched at the pain, but smiled down at her all the same.

"Patty, that hurts," he croaked, his voice weak and hoarse. Patty instantly moved away, tears in her eyes.

"We thought you would never wake up Kid," she said. "You looked like you died in your sleep most of the time. We… I was scared that you were gone for good." Tears fell. Kid slowly sat up a little and grabbed her arm.

"Patty, it's okay. I'm not leaving," he assured her. She broke down and hugged him again, but with a little less force this time. She cried into his shoulder, and Kid held her. Usually Liz was the one in this situation, and even those times were rare. All he could think to do was hug her until she calmed down again. Before that could happen, Liz woke up too. She stared in disbelief before getting up and hugging him and Patty together. This time the force knocked the breath out of him. "Liz you're crushing me," he wheezed.

Liz moved away quickly, looking at him apologetically. Patty continued to cry into his shoulder for a little longer. Once she pulled away, her natural childish smile was back. "How are you feeling Kid?" Liz asked. "You took more damage than I had ever seen you."

"Fine, a little worse for the wear but nothing that won't heal," he said. "What happened when I was knocked out?" Patty went excited.

"You should have seen it, Kid! Persona's magic was incredible, and Mari kicked ass! You should have seen her, I've never seen her fight so well! It was like she was from another planet," Patty babbled. _Mari! _Patty stepped back and continued to babble, now adding movement and swinging her arms to and fro like she was wielding a scythe.

"Where is Mari," he interrupted. Patty froze in place and then settled, turning very serious. Liz was the one to speak up.

"She's back at the DWMA with Persona to give a report to Lord Death."

"What? But that's a three day train ride from here," Kid said, confused. A scary thought came to him. "H-how long have I been asleep?"

"Over a week, Kid," Liz said after a moment.

"A week," Kid shouted, sitting up. He cringed and gripped his chest. It burned like hot irons.

"Kid, don't do that, you'll open your stitches," Patty gasped. He looked over himself and finally saw the extent of the damage. His left arm and his chest was wrapped in thick gauze. Quickly reddening gauze. "Liz get the doctor, he's bleeding!"

Liz panicked and ran out of the room. Kid sighed and pressed the overhead button to call the nurse as Patty tried to get him to lay back down. He grew dizzy quickly, and what was only a few seconds felt like a good ten or fifteen minutes before the nurse and doctor came in with Liz at their heels. They helped him slowly sit up and unwound his bandages. He finally saw the extent of his injuries. There were large wounds all down his chest, some cutting deeper than others. _This could not have been caused by a tree!_

"What the hell happened to me?" he asked. He flinched as the nurse pressed down on his wounds a little to hard. The doctor looked up at him and then started putting cloth over his wounds and wrapping them up again.

"That huge creature hadn't just knocked you out," the doctor said. "It had tried to kill you."

"It wanted to eat your soul, Kid. If Mari and Persona hadn't stepped in, you would be dead," Liz said. Kid went silent as the doctor and nurse finished.

"Now you need to lay still so you don't open your wounds again," she said with a kind smile. She put a new bag of blood on the rack and connected him to it. "It's not very easy to get a hold of reaper blood."

_Of course not. The only way to get same was from my father. Or another reaper._

Mari came to mind again.

"Where did you get the blood?" he asked.

"Why from that other girl of course," the doctor said as if what he had said was funny. "Lord Death certainly couldn't have donated blood and sent it over on such short notice." The doctor and nurse then left. Liz and Patty stood there silently, watching him. He stared at them, mostly Liz, which made her shift nervously.

"You two knew, didn't you," he said, scowling at them. Patty smiled apologetically and Liz hid behind her. "Why didn't you tell me Mari was a reaper?"

"Because she asked us not to," Liz said after a second or two.

"But how did you find out?" They both stayed silent, looking between eachother like they didn't know what to tell him. "Well?"

Liz cringed and Patty sighed.

"We knew Mari from the streets," she said. We found her and Jaden when they were around 7. We watched out for them for a week or two then they disappeared. We never saw them again until they came to the DWMA."

"And even then we didn't figure it out right away. She had to tell us for us to figure it out," Liz added.

_They knew all along. They even knew Jaden. Wonderful..._


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12! Enjoy! :3

Soul Eater in not mine. Don't even kid about that :P

* * *

She had remembered... everything.

She remembered playing with Kid as a child, their 3rd birthday party (reapers had an impeccable ability to remember small details and very old memories), and she remembered the last time she had looked at him before she ran away. He had been asleep in their shared bedroom. They had separate beds, but they were always symmetrically splitting the room in half with a long bedside table between them both, two skull shaped lamps on it and one alarm clock situated in the middle. Kid was fast asleep in the bed on her left as she stood in the middle. She left a note on the alarm clock at an angle so he would notice right away. Then she had whispered goodbye to him and left.

What she didn't understand was why she had blocked the memories in the first place.

"_Mari where are you? I know you're here!"_

_I cringed. He never called me by my name,but by Sister. Jaden held onto me silently from behind the trash bins, his blank eyes staring out through the gap. He was tense, and he wasn't breathing. I wasn't either. I was terrified. But I was also sad and angry. I had told him not to look for me! I told him he would never see me again. And he wouldn't, I knew Jaden would make sure of that. Kid stopped in front of the gap and we shrank away from it._

"_Fine then! I'm glad you left! I hope you never come back," he finally yelled. My chest hurt as he ran away from the ally. _

"_Mari what's wrong?" Jaden asked._

"_It hurts Jaden," I said, my voice shaking with pain. I felt like I was being ripped in two. I wanted to die. I wanted to do almost anything! Anything to stop the pain. I wanted..._

Now she remembered. Kid had been the only regret she had for leaving. She was the reason he wished not to ever see her. Her young self couldn't handle the pain, and so she had blocked the memories that brought the pain.

Mari sighed and stared out at the blurred scenery as the train passed by. It was the fourth day of their train ride back to Niagara Falls. Persona sat across from her in her usual robe, black torn shirt, white capris and barefooted outfit, but Mari payed little notice to her. She just stared out the window, soon seeing her faint reflection on it's surface, the reflection of the reaper she had denied herself to be the last seven years. She looked at the two inch length of stitches across her cheek, counting every stitch in them in great length, taking in every detail of the cut that monster had given her when she had gotten her memory back. When the doctors had given her the stitches the cut had been haggard, misshapen and gruesome. Now it was simply a long pink line that ran from the bridge of her nose down the left side of her cheek, just under her eye.

_The old man said I was lucky. Any closer and I could have been blinded._

She shoulder burned. It always had the past week and a half. She had taken a large stab in the shoulder when the monster had tried to kill Kid. She had saved his life. Well, that's what Liz and Patty had told her anyway.

"_I hope you never come back!"_

Mari physically flinched. Kid's words that day were like poison. It was obvious he had blocked his memories of her as well, seeing as he didn't look at her with disgust and hatred now, but what about when he started remembering. Would he come to hate her again? She feared he would do that or possibly worse.

"We're almost there."

Mari looked over at Persona. She was frowning, looking worriedly at her. Somehow the young witch came out completely unscathed from the fight, to Mari's irritation. Person had turned out to be eleven and perfectly safe to have at the DWMA, so Death had enrolled her into the school and made her first mission to escort Mari back to Kid and return them both home. That translated to Death putting Mari on babysitting duty for a eleven year old telekinetic witch.

_He really wants me to try and kill him some day, doesn't he?_

Mari sat up and nodded to Persona's comment. She was able to see the town in the distance. In a good ten minutes they would be back on foot and on their way to the hospital.

"He's okay," Persona said. She didn't phrase it as a question, but Mari nodded anyway.

_This girl can read my emotions, she really bugs the hell out of me._

"I irritate you, don't I."

"Stop reading my emotions," Mari said to her.

"Ha, I got you to say something," Persona laughed, grinning gleefully. "That was the first knowledgeable thing you've said to me this whole trip!"

"Keep it up, and it'll be the last."

"No it won't, because you just said something else, so the last thing you say will be my last."

"You are very annoying today," Mari grumbled, glaring daggers at the small girl.

"I can tell," she responded, smiling that annoying little smile of hers that says that she thinks she's being clever.

"Stop reading my emotions," Mari snapped.

"Kind of hard not to," Persona said. "Your emotions are so strong that they are almost overbearing. They are pushing down my own aura that I feel congested!" The girl clutched her stomach and made a face that looked like she was going to puke, moaning and groaning over-dramatically. Mari ignored the urge to slice her in half like she should have done a long time ago and let her anger lower to a simmering irritation.

She wanted to kill this witch, just not yet.

The last of the ten minutes on the train passed in silence.

Kid was sitting up in his bed naturally now. It had been three and a half days since he had woken up, and he had quickly improved after that. Of course he wasn't all that shocked about it. He was just surprised he had been in such a state comatose for a week. He couldn't imagine how badly he must have really been injured to have been like that.

Of course Liz and Patty were ecstatic over his quickening recovery, but have kept strangely to themselves whenever the subject of Mari's health from the fight came up. Not that it mattered. He knew Mari was going to show up again any day now. Of course he didn't question as to _why _he knew this. He just did.

"Hey."

Kid snapped out of his thoughts at the voice at his door. As he had expected, Mari was standing in the doorway, her pure black hair falling flawlessly down to her mid-back and striking white Sanzu lines going across the right side of her head.

"You aren't cloaking your appearance anymore?" he asked.

"The fire witch broke my last cloaking hair tie. I have to get a new one from Death," she said simply, her voice strangely subdued. "You're doing better then?"

"Yes, I am," he replied. There was a awkward pause. Mari glanced down the hall and then came inside, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm glad to see you awake," she murmured. "You... kinda scared me back there when you passed out."

"You were afraid for me?" Kid asked incredulously. It was hard to believe after how she had treated him for so long. She just nodded, which surprised him. He expected some sort of witty remark or harsh denial. Instead, he was given simple, subdued answers that seemed strangely raw and bare against Mari's stark contrasting, dismissive and rebellious character. It made everything so painfully obvious to Kid.

She was telling the complete truth and she was afraid of how he would treat her because of it.

"Why... didn't you tell me?" Kid heard himself ask. He hadn't specified what he meant, but she had taken it in stride like she knew exactly what he had meant.

"Because I had blocked away all my memories of you when I had ran away from home," she answered.

"When did you remember?"

"Right as you passed out when that monster attacked you."

Another long pause.

"What all do you remember?"

Kid thought about the question, wondering about the dream and questioning whether it would count as a memory or not.

"A few times when we played together. We had still been pretty young," he simply replied. Mari nodded. "So you now believe me when I told you that I didn't curse Jaden?"

"Yes... and I apologize for my actions towards you, even if I don't deserve forgiveness for it."

Kid waved it off like a bug in the air. "What happened, happened. Best not let the past ruin the future." He offered Mari a small smile and a hand. "Let's just start over."

Mari hesitated and stared between his eyes and his offered hand before taking it into her own with a similar smile.

"Okay."


	13. Chapter 13

Here, let's just drop this off right here :). Enjoy Chapter 13 everyone!

Soul Eater is not mine. I don't have any rights to the original characters.

* * *

"It's good to see you home, Kiddo."

"Father, I wish you wouldn't call me that," Kid groaned. Mari had a hard time not grinning at that comment.

"Are you healing well?" Lord Death asked him. Kid nodded.

"I began to heal faster after I woke up."

"Well that's good."

"Okay, enough of the light chatter, we need to get to the point here," Mari said.

"Right," Kid answered.

"Hm? Is something on your minds, kids?" Lord Death asked.

"Why exactly did you say Kid cursed Jaden, old man," Mari said, gritting her teeth at her father's act of innocence. "Kid is my brother. Why would you lie to me?"

"And why me in the first place? What, did you want her to try and kill me?" Kid added

"Yea! I would have easily continued to do so if it wasn't for the damn mission!" Mari said, her temper rising. Lord Death held up a hand to silence them. Kid withdrew and showed a sense of outward calm. Mari continued to stand stiffly, glaring at Lord Death in anger.

"The answer is simple," Lord Death said. "I knew that the lie was the only way to bring you home, Mari."

"Home? What home," she yelled, tears pricking at her eyes, the stress and tension finally getting to her. She continued yelling, shouting out all her pain at the demon she had called Father for years. "Home was back in Missouri where I've lived for the past six years! Home was in the slums and alleyways of the city with Jaden when he was still human! That apartment is not home! Gallows Manor is not home! It was a prison! Seven some years ago I escaped that prison to find my real home! A place where I was understood and where I could be myself and do what I pleased! To not be in the shadow of a creature like you! I hate you! I've hated you for so long, and yet you continue to not leave me be! You keep Jaden this way and refuse to help. You only make things worse and seem to find more ways for me to hate you! That's why I had ran away and I would do it again if I wasn't bound to this city by our damn agreement that was formed under a lie! "

She finally stopped, and she wiped angrily at the tears that went down her cheeks.

"M-Mari?"

She looked over at Kid, who was looking at her with a mixture of shock and confusion, his eyes slightly glazed over. She looked away, ashamed to look at her dear twin brother. All that followed was silence. It seemed that even Lord Death's shock was tangible in the room. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to run away from this place and disappear like she thought she had done when she was young and had found sanctuary with Jaden. She wanted to reach into the past and pull it back to her, but it all felt so far away now. She felt like she could never get back that piece of happiness she had for even that short amount of time, and she hated it.

"You both are dismissed," Lord Death said, breaking the silence with a surprisingly subdued and somber tone of voice. He turned away then and disappeared into his mirror. Mari couldn't leave the room any faster. She turned on her heels and stormed out, her anger making it hard to run away like she wanted to do. Kid followed behind her. She could feel his sympathy like a chill on the back of her neck. She hated sympathy. It made her feel like people thought she was weak.

"Would you stop it," she snapped, turning to face Kid. Her action startled him and he came to a halt.

"Stop what?" he asked.

"Stop feeling sorry for me! Stop trying to understand how I feel because you don't! You have no idea how hard it's been!"

"No, I don't Mari. I wish I did but-," Kid said.

"You don't wish to understand. Doing that would mean going through everything I have," she yelled.

"BUT I have also gone through hard times that you wouldn't be able to understand either." He gave her a hard, strained look, which stopped her from yelling again. "After you left, life in the house died. It was like when you left all the light in the house went with you. Father wasn't the same. For a long time he couldn't even look at me because of how we look alike. One night he had cut down the tire swing we had always played on and threw it away because he couldn't stand looking at it because it reminded him of you. His expectation of me had doubled after you left, making sure I was strong and powerful so I would be a better reaper and father than he thought himself to be. He became possessive and spoiled me rotten by doing anything to keep me happy because he was scared. Scared that I would run away to stay with my twin sister. When I started showing up at school to visit Father in his room, kids would stare and whisper about me. Rumors spread and people looked at me as either a freak, a road side show or a monster. They were afraid of who I would become just because I am a reaper. Random students challenged me to fight them to prove that they were strong and to boost their egos. They beat me up because I was young and inexperienced at first, which made them come at me more. I had to force myself to get strong so I could defend myself and prove that I wasn't just my father's shadow. And I did it alone. Always alone. I surrounded myself with friends in hopes to fill in the gap that I felt in my heart but had no idea why I had it. All I knew was that I was missing something, and I had hoped that those friends would fill that missing something, but they never did."

Mari's heart hurt. She didn't want to listen, but she couldn't ignore him. The sadness and pain in his eyes had captured her entire attention. She looked down at the ground, crying more. She felt so selfish. She had left him alone to grow up alone just because of her own selfish nature. And she could never take it back.

Kid hugged her and she kept completely still, confused one why he would do this after telling her that story.

"But now I've finally found that person I was missing. That person may be a little cracked and bruised, but so am I, so it'll be fine. As long as I don't lose her again."

Mari sobbed a little and hugged him hard.

"I'm sorry," she choked out.

"I'm sorry too," he told her.

"W-When did you remember it all? You said you only remembered certain small memories of our childhood together back at the hospital." Kid sighed.

"Everything flew back at me when you said you would run away again if you could," he answered her. She thought back a little.

_The glazed over eyes. That was when he was remembering. God, I'm an idiot. My yelling at Death triggered his memory._

"So... you remember the last day?" she asked, stepping lightly into the question.

"The day I stopped looking for you?" he asked. She nodded. "Yes I remember."

"Do you still..." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. There was a long pause, and that whole time she didn't even breath. She couldn't.

"No... I don't hate you," he said to her. She let out a breath, relieved that her fears were nothing. "I never hated you."

"But that day... you were so mad."

"I was hurt. It hurt that you would run from me. I was angry, sure, but it was because of the moment. I could never hate you, Mari."

She smiled at him, and he returned the smile. "I really missed you, bro."

"Missed you too, sis."


	14. Chapter 14

Well, that didn't take long! I actually finished this during school today :)

SOUL EATER IS NOT MINE

* * *

People were staring. It was making Mari very uncomfortable. It was worse than when Death Scythe had lead her through on her first day back. Now she felt completely exposed; her disguise gone and her reaper wavelength completely uncovered. Now they were staring and whispering about how she had changed her appearance and how she was a reaper. Once again, she had left Jaden back at the apartment. She didn't need to have him with her all the time since she wasn't on a mission anymore.

"Mari, hey!"

Mari smiled as Liz and Patty came over. Liz was finally out of her cast, which means she was ready for action again, and Patty was as chipper as ever. More than usual actually. They had both expressed how happy they were that she wouldn't be hiding her identity anymore. Patty gave her a hug, which Mari awkwardly returned.

"You're coming to class right?" Liz asked.

"I have too. The old man said I'd be getting in trouble with Screw Head if I didn't," Mari answered, rolling her eyes.

"You sure have a thing against authority," Maka said as she approached with Soul beside her. "So this is what you really look like. You look a lot like Kid."

"Well, seeing as we are twins doesn't really help her case." Kid had taken the pleasure of showing up at that moment and putting an arm over Mari's shoulder. Mari glared at him and he put his arm down. Maka and Soul both looked dumbfounded.

"You two are twins?" Maka asked, although there wasn't much surprise in her voice, but more quiet understanding.

"Dude, Kid. Why didn't you say something?" Soul asked.

"Didn't know. We had forgotten about each other when Mari moved away," Kid answered smoothly. Mari looked over and saw Tsubaki walking over, but noticed she was very much alone.

"Tsubaki, where is your meister?" Mari asked. Tsubaki looked to the side, which only then did Mari notice a small amount of blue hair hiding around the corner, "Ah yes, the great assassin on the hunt again. I can only guess what he's after."

"Black Star, you aren't fooling anybody. Come out," Kid said. Black Star came out, glaring at Mari intently. Even Mari, who knew very little about the blue haired assassin, knew this was not how he normally acted. Black Star approached Mari, looking her over.

"So, you're not a meister. You're a reaper," he said. Mari nodded even though he didn't phase his sentence as a question. There was a long pause and then he stepped back and pointed at her dramatically. "Then I challenge you to a dual!" Everyone was slightly shocked by this except Tsubaki, who had known his intention the whole time.

"Um, didn't I already kick your ass the first day we met?" Mari asked, raising an eyebrow at Black Star.

"You caught me off guard! And you also were disguising yourself so I underestimated you! That wasn't a fair fight, so I want a rematch!"

"It wasn't really a fight. You charged close to me and I defended myself. You were the one who was stupid enough to charge into a situation without thinking about what repercussions you would receive."

Black Star fumed and punched at her head. She swiftly dodged and hooked him in the gut. Black Star coughed and went to his knees, clutching his stomach. Tsubaki stepped forward, but Kid held a hand up to halt her advance. "He started this fight, let him deal with the consequences," he whispered to the flustered weapon. Tsubaki nodded, watching her meister worriedly. Kid was staring at Mari, who was looking down at Black Star with a bored expression on her face. Mari sighed after a moment and grabbed him by the scarf, lifting him to his feet.

"Listen. You want a real fight? We'll meet after school with a professor present. No weapons. Just you and your intense wavelength." Mari let go of him. Black Star just glared at her.

"Well, Miss Death. It's good to finally join the class," Professor Stein said, looking at Mari as she entered the room with Kid and the sisters. Mari narrowed her eyes at him.

"Call me Mari, not 'Miss Death'," Mari said to him.

"Alright then. Please step forward and I'll introduce you to the class." Mari nodded and stood next to the desk as the rest of the class filtered into the room and took their seats. "And I would also like to test your abilities, now that I see what you truly are," Stein added quietly. Mari glanced over at him warily.

"You'll be able too after school. Black Star challenged me to a fight and we'll need a professor present," she told him in the same low volume. Stein smirked.

"I will gladly attend," he said. He lit a cigarette and then addressed the class. "Everyone, this is our newest student, Marilyn Death. Please refer to her Mari, that is her preferred title. I'm sure we will all welcome her, as well as her extraordinary reaper gifts, warmly and help her grow stronger along with the rest of you."

Mari regarded Stein suspiciously. She was very cautious of the half-mad scientist. He stared at her like he would want to cut her open slowly and examine every inch of her from the inside out down to her very soul. It didn't help that he could do so, making her uncomfortably exposed. Stein locked eyes with her and she could tell he looked at her soul because a creepy smirk slid across his face. He took a drag of his cigarette and turned his screw a few clicks. "Take a seat, Mari," he said to her.

Mari gladly listened and took a seat next to her brother, who was looking between her and Professor Stein almost warily. He could sense her unease, and he was just as uneasy. Stein studied her more than he studied any other student. He didn't even look at Kid like that. It made him very suspicious of the Professor's sanity and sick thoughts.

The rest of the hour consisted of simple lessons and whispering voices. People continually shifted their gazes between Mari and their friends, gossiping and gawking at her. Mari learned only one thing that hour. School was going to suck.

Mari walked out to the front of the school with Kid, Liz, Patty, and Professor Stein behind her. She had her hands in her black coat pockets, her face a mask of nonchalance. Outside, Maka and Soul were talking with Black Star and Tsubaki was standing to the side. As soon as Mari and her group stepped outside, Maka and Soul stopped speaking and went over by Tsubaki. Black Star stood with a look of complete confidence and calm.

"I'm here to moderate the fight, you two," Stein said very seriously. He then smiled. "So go ahead and go nuts." Mari nodded and stepped forward, stopping a few paces away from Black Star.

"You know, you can always back out Black Star," Kid called over, sounding more than a little amused.

"Shut up, Kid." Black Star said. Mari sent Black Star a calm smile, which made him tense up.

"Oh, I can't believe you want to try fighting a girl," Mari teased.

"Gender is no issue," Black Star retorted. Mari chuckled, and Black Star looked a bit puzzled.

"Oh, it wasn't the fact I was girl that I was pointing out," she said, smiling sweetly. He smile turned into a patronizing grin. "It's the fact that you are even trying."

Black Star charged her, hand raised to do a direct Soul Charge to her. Mari sidestepped him and the last minute and patted his arm. He went disoriented from the sudden movement and went to one knee, recovering almost immediately. She simply took a step or two back, looking content and yet patronizing to the assassin. He charged at her again and again, each time she either side stepped him or dodged under his arm as he attacked.

"She's just... playing with him," Tsubaki murmured.

"And he knows it," Soul said. "This has got to be pissing him off."

"Of course it is, but he's to much of an idiot to just give up," Liz said. "He'll end up tiring himself out before he even does any real damage."

Maka looked over at Kid, who was just watching silently. His gaze was intense, watching Black Star's every move. Maka moved over and set a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at her. "Hey, he's not going to hurt her. She can handle herself fine," she told him. He looked back at them. Mari had just tripped him and made him face plant on the concrete.

"I know that," Kid told her. "I just want to be sure of it. She is still recovering from a few of her injuries, after all."

"Black Star will be the one walking out with injuries by the looks of it," Maka said, watching him get pushed into a pillar. Kid nodded, then looked over at Stein. He was watching passively, his eyes trained on Mari's wavelength.

"Astonishing, isn't it," Stein said once he realized he had Kid's attention. Maka turned at Stein's comment. "He wavelength is quite similar to yours, Kid, but yet she is so different it is incredible."

"There are plenty of factors of why that is," Kid said.

"Very true. The way she was raised is a good example. It's still a wonder how she found the time to train herself when she lived in a pubic area." Stein released a puff of smoke and finally looked at Kid. His eyes were piercing and analytical.

"Are the two of us just one huge experiment to you, Professor?" Kid asked, narrowing his eyes at the man. Unlike what he had expected, Stein smiled pleasantly smiled and took his cigarette from his lips.

"Why yes, Kid. That is what you both are to me at the moment."

"Damn it, enough!" Black Star's voice drew all of their attention back to the scuffle that they were supposed to be there for. He was dirty and cut up in places and he was enraged. "Why don't you attack? Fight me!"

Mari's grin disappeared, and she looked displeased. Kid already knew what that meant. The fight was almost over.

"If you say so," Mari said, sighing and scratching the back of her neck. She just stood there, slightly slouched. Black Star continued to look irritated.

"Just come a-" Mari charged and socked him in the gut, and Black Star doubled over and went into a coughing fit. Mari kept him upright and pushed him up a little. He staggered back a little, clutching his stomach. Mari jumped up and kicked at his head, hooking him from to side and sending him flying into a pillar. The pillar cracked and the pressure made a large dent in it. Black Star fell from the pillar to the ground, unmoving. Tsubaki gasped and ran over to Black Star.

"Twenty five seconds."

Maka looked up at Professor Stein curiously. Stein noticed this and grinned. "The time since she had gone on the offensive to when Black Star went down was twenty five seconds."

Shocked, Maka looked back at Mari. Sure, she realized Mari had been fast, but she hadn't timed it. Kid and the sisters went over to her, all three smiling at her victory. "Amazing."

"I couldn't have said it any better, Miss Albarn." Stein smiled and went back into the building, leaving Maka to watch Kid, Mari and the sisters leave together.


End file.
